The modern tourist hub known as 'Gringolandia' — the buzzing La Mariscal district, packed with hostels, hotels, restaurants, bars, tour agencies and the liveliest nightlife in the city, centred on Plaza Foch. Central, convenient and up-for-it, well-connected to the old town; the base for backpackers and travellers who want nightlife, easy tours and plenty of eating and drinking, though it can get rowdy and calls for street-smarts after dark.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
$50–100
typical per night in Ecuador
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Quito — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is La Mariscal and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Basílica del Voto Nacional25 min walk2.0 km
- Guápulo7 min taxi2.5 km
- Plaza Grande & the Old Town8 min taxi2.8 km
- La Compañía de Jesús9 min taxi3.1 km
- Plaza & Church of San Francisco9 min taxi3.2 km
- TelefériQo cable car11 min taxi3.5 km
- El Panecillo & the Virgin12 min taxi4.0 km
- Mitad del Mundo (the Equator)69 min taxi23.0 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 8.Ecuadorian food — Ecuadorian food is hearty and distinctive — locro de papa (creamy potato-cheese soup with avocado), ceviche, hornado (roast pork), llapingachos (potato-cheese cakes), corn and plantain everywhere, and, for the brave, cuy (roast guinea pig, an Andean delicacy). Wash it down with fresh tropical juices or a canelazo (hot spiced sugarcane spirit) against the mountain chill. Graze the markets and traditional eateries; tasty, filling and a real taste of the Andes. Delicious and cheap.
- 13.La Mariscal nightlife — Quito's nightlife centres on La Mariscal and Plaza Foch — a lively cluster of bars, salsatecas and clubs where travellers and locals dance to salsa, cumbia and reggaeton and knock back cheap cocktails and canelazos. Fun, buzzing and easy to dive into (take a taxi back and mind your belongings), it's the classic Quito night out; learn some salsa, bar-hop the plaza, and enjoy the party. For a cooler, more local scene, La Floresta's craft-beer bars are a great alternative.
- 15.Old Town by night (illuminated) — On weekend evenings the colonial centre comes alive and is beautifully floodlit — join the locals promenading around La Ronda, a restored old cobbled street of colonial houses now full of traditional cafés, artisan workshops, live music and warming canelazos. A magical, atmospheric way to experience the old town after dark (in the safe, lively pockets), full of music and colour; sip a canelazo, listen to the street musicians, and soak up the romance. A lovely, festive Quito evening.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to La Mariscal; flights via Google Flights.