Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
so there's no reason to try and understand the whole city, just obtain a map of the center
and use this guide to mark the places you're interested in checking out.
The southern part of Quito is practically considered a dirty word because of the crime and
poverty it endures. The travelers who do pass through here come to volunteer at orphan-
ages or schools, and come to realize how gentle and innocent these unfortunate people
are. The center is home to La Mariscal district, otherwise known as
Gringolandia
for the
backpacker scene that's been set up here since the 90s, but locals just refer to it as
La
Zona
(The Zone) or the city's nightlife capital. The north of Quito is where the most af-
fluent neighborhoods are situated, along with classy malls and gated communities that
stretch out to the suburbs.
There are three main types of public transport available in Quito: the Ecovía, the Trolebús
and the Metrobus. All are electric and command their own car-free lanes making them
quick and very crowded, especially during peak hours. They run all day, every day, but
close from midnight to around 6 am. These are good to use if you're shuttling from your
hotel to one of the bus terminals on an out-of-Quito trip. Other than these lines, the very
disorganized bus system dominates transit. Buses vary widely in color and service level
(from dusty tin can machines that can't make it up a hill to sparkling double-decker buses)
and have signs in the window displaying their next stops. However, they aren't changed
often, so one doesn't know if the bus is coming or going in that direction.
You can simply hail a taxi if you don't want to risk it, but make sure they have an orange
plate on their door displaying their registration, and ask if they have a meter (
taximetro
)
before you get in to avoid being overcharged.
Safety
Quito doesn't have a great reputation when it comes to safety, but don't worry, there are
plenty of precautions to take to avoid dangerous situations. The first and most obvious is
to travel with friends or a group, but if you're going solo, hostels are probably the best op-
tion to link up with other travelers and navigate the city together. Then there's Couch
Surfing (
www.couchsurfing.com
)
where you could meet up with locals for a coffee,
guided tour or homestay, for free! Meeting trusty locals is probably the best way to get the
best of Quito, safely.
Some other basic measures can be taken to avoid being robbed. You don't want to walk
around town displaying signs of wealth, like expensive jewelry or electronics. This is fine
