These photos were taken in my first 24 hours of this trip in Quito, Ecuador. It is a city of much history and an interesting combination of colonial and international architecture. One thing that really impressed me was the families out having fun in Parque Carolina. I visited the area on a Saturday afternoon and saw many grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and even pets in whole family groups enjoying the park together. There was hardly a phone in sight. Everyone was either playing football, flying kits, chasing each other, laughing or eating.
This is something I admire about many South American countries. Families still have multiple generational outings all enjoying the day together and living in real world moments. The below two photos were taken in the dying light of the afternoon and no one seemed to want to call it a day.
Keep scrolling as there are photos of a performance and also street photography
in the historic centre.
Click on photos to enlarge
I caught a free live performance by a band that was performing for their new music video. The crowd slowly built as the band played and before long, many were dancing to their great music! The band's name is El Requi y sus Estrella's. I recommend that you find them on Youtube and Spotify.
After a short walk in the park yesterday trying to acclimate to Quito's elevation of 2,850 meters or 9,350 feet, I awoke wanting to push further so I visited El Centro Historico del Quito or Quito's Historic Centre. I was looking for little stories happening in areas of the centre.
Enjoy
Two iconic structures stand out in the Quito Skyline: One is The Neo-Gothic Cathedral called Basílica del Voto Nacional. The other is El Virgin de El Panecillio.
The Basilica is a Roman Catholic Church that was constructed between 1892 and 1909 and blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1985. It is the largest Neo-Gothic cathedral in the Americas. There is a frightening, external climb to the top of one of the spires, I have done it! It is still technically unfinished, some say that if it is fully completed, the end of world has come.
Across town is El Virgin de El Panacillio. She looks across and the city and serves as comfort and reminder to followers of the faith. In one of the photos you can see the Virgin Maria and the Basilica in the same shot. At 41 metres, if you count her base, she is taller than Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. She holds a record of the being the tallest aluminium structure on the planet!
Click on photos to enlarge
Eric "at" ericbphotography.com.au
+61 467 937 391
© 2026. All rights reserved.