La Ronda
Quito, Ecuador
A restored, lantern-lit colonial street of courtyards, art galleries, traditional restaurants and canelazo (hot spiced-alcohol) bars. Enchanting after dar…
Places in La Ronda
- Rincón La Ronda A traditional restaurant on the atmospheric La Ronda street serving Quito classics — ceviche, fanesca, locro — often with live music. Authentic and characterful.
- La Ronda canelazo bars The lantern-lit colonial street's bars serve canelazo — hot spiced sugarcane alcohol — a warming local ritual on cold Andean nights. Atmospheric and traditional.
Practical notes for Quito
- Best time to visit
- June to September (the dry season) for the clearest weather. The wet season (October–May) brings afternoon showers but green landscapes. The altitude keeps it spring-like year-round — take it easy on arrival and pack layers.
- Getting around
- The old town is walkable but steep and high — take the altitude slowly. The new Metro line, the Ecovía/Trole bus lines and cheap taxis (or Uber) cover the long, narrow city. The TelefériQo cable car climbs Pichincha for volcano views.
- Currency
- US Dollar ($)
- Language
- Spanish. English is limited outside tourism.
- Timezone
- ECT (UTC-5)
- Current trends
- A rising modern-Ecuadorian dining scene drawing on Amazonian and highland ingredients; a serious specialty-coffee culture (Ecuador grows fine beans); the restored La Ronda street reviving old-town nightlife; and boutique heritage hotels in colonial mansions.
Other neighborhoods in Quito
- Centro Histórico (Old Town) — The UNESCO-listed colonial core of gilded churches, monasteries and grand plazas around Plaza Grande — the finest in the Americas. The city's magnificent heart.
- La Mariscal — The 'Gringolandia' backpacker and nightlife district, of hostels, bars and the Mariscal craft market, lively but rougher after dark. The budget-traveller hub.
- La Floresta — A leafy, bohemian district of cafés, independent cinemas, galleries and the city's best modern restaurants. Quito's creative, hip quarter.
- Guápulo — A steep, artsy hillside neighbourhood tumbling into a valley below the city, with a beautiful church and bohemian bars with views. A hidden, romantic pocket.
Read the full Quito guide