WHAT TO EXPECT IN QUITO

Quito is the capital city of Ecuador, lies 2.850 metres above sea level and is the highest official capital city in the world. Guests from a Liveaboard to Galapagos Islands will either arrive at the international airport in Quito or in Guayaquil. With a population of 2.671.191 (2014), Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador, after Guayaquil.

Quito has a historic center and was declared, along with Krakow, as the first World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1978. It has undergone massive restoration work and is nowadays a wonderful place to stroll around. The architecture, along with museums, churches, little squares and convents, make for a very pleasant afternoon.The rest of the town is modern and has anything you would expect from a capital city: shopping centres, museums & art galleries, restaurants & clubs and much more.

LIVEABOARD DIVING FROM QUITO

Quito is land-locked in the centre of Ecuador and does not actually offer diving opportunities. However, the city is the perfect entry point in Ecuador to start your trip of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands. Some Liveaboard safaris will actually start in Quito where you board your domestic flight to either San Cristobal Island or Baltra Island.

GETTING TO QUITO

There is an International Airport in Quito: Quito's Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre is 37 km east of the city in a broad valley near Tababela. It's a modern facility with the longest runway in Latin America and the second-highest control tower (after Cancun); however, the terminal is significantly smaller than Guayaquil's. Please check where your chosen liveaboard departs to decide if Quito or Guayaquil is a better arrival port.