An updated guide to exploring Quito at night in 2024
15/11/2024
Itinerary from Quito to the four worlds of Ecuador
15/01/2025When is the best time to visit Quito, Ecuador?
As you walk through the cobblestone streets of Quito’s Historic Center during the last month of the year, you’ll notice balconies and shops decorated with Christmas lights and red and blue flags. There will surely be a few bands playing traditional music or Christmas carols on every block, and a certain festive air with the scent of Palo Santo will fill the entrances of colonial churches.
Quito’s greatest attraction is the fusion of cultures, traditions, and modernity, which is pleasantly enhanced in the final months of the year. The reason? We must go back to 1956, the year the city was founded, and the mayor of that time gave rise to the serenades of Quito, a popular custom in which men in love would travel with great musicians to the balconies of their beloveds to sing songs that moved their hearts.
The songs spread and expanded, and after a while it was impossible not to attend the early morning Creole music sung in the Plaza Grande, and soon more festive customs joined the celebration that arrives punctually every December 6th.
Concerts, plays, pristiños, and canelazos—these elements come together in December to delight residents and provide tourists with a true cultural experience.
Founding Celebrations of Quito
To celebrate the city’s founding, citizens create and attend a series of events honoring the city, its customs, and its progress.
Marches and parades
In several areas of the city, parades and dance groups take over the streets to entertain passersby with colorful costumes and loud songs that get more than one person singing along. So if you pass through any of these areas, it’s best to grab a couple of the chairs lined up at the ends of the streets to enjoy the diverse folklore that inhabits the city.
Cultural activities
By the end of November, the online menu of activities organized by the Quito government and other public and private institutions to entertain citizens is usually circulating in various brochures. Daylight hours are often filled with artistic events where local youth play their instruments or display their work in large exhibitions. While nighttime is the ideal time for independent music festivals or celebrations accompanied by canelazo, a popular drink made by mixing cinnamon, alcohol, and sugar. Quito’s ancestors drank it to stave off the cold, it’s now one of the most popular drinks for both citizens and foreigners.
Fairs and markets
There’s no better time to visit craft fairs and markets, or the routes some concept stores organize for these dates. The highest-quality products are promoted, and there are discount packages on crafts, clothing, art, and other souvenirs you could purchase.
Impeccable gastronomy
Pristiños with fig honey, buñuelos, and empanadas de viento are some of the snacks you can find in Quito year-round, but during December, their sweet aroma wafts through some streets, inviting passersby to stop and indulge.
One step away from Christmas
Something you should know is that the festivities don’t end once December 6th arrives. Quito’s festive menu spans the entire month with complementary Christmas activities, such as symphonic carol concerts, plays, and festive drinks that sweeten your trip to the Ecuadorian capital.
December is definitely the month we recommend most for visiting the Ecuadorian capital. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming; the parties, events, and other activities are the perfect introduction to the Christmas season. Magic envelops the city, and the feeling of love and pride for the land that nurtured them from birth makes Quito residents much happier and more hospitable. So, if you want to experience the true Quito experience, you should be here by early December, and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.
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