First Declared UNESCO site in the Americas

Quito’s historic city center broke records back in 1978 when it became the first capital city to be added to UNESCO’s venerated World Heritage List. Wondering just what’s so special about Quito?

For starters, its historic old town lays claim to some of the most exuberant and well-preserved examples of the colonial architecture. The Santo Domingo and San Francisco monasteries, along with the Church of La Compañia, are considered to be excellent examples of the Baroque School of Quito architecture – a style which combined Moorish, Italian, Spanish, Flemish and indigenous influences with unique results.

And it’s not just its historic buildings; it’s also what is housed within them. Many of Quito’s churches are repositories for precious artworks. The Santo Domingo church, for example, is famed for its exquisite paintings depicting the martyrs of the Dominican Order. The San Francisco Church also contains well-known works from the Quito Colonial School. And then there’s the Church of La Compañia’s, whose gilded interior features a kingdom’s worth of riches.

You will have the chance to visit these marvelous colonial gems on your Ecuador private tour.