Quito: Ecuador's Andean Capital and UNESCO World Heritage Historic Centre

Location and urban character

Quito occupies a valley on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha volcano and functions as the political and administrative centre of the nation. Its historic urban fabric preserves many colonial-era streets and buildings, while modern development extends along surrounding hills and suburbs.

Historic Centre and heritage

The city’s historic core was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978, recognizing its exceptional collection of colonial architecture and urban planning. The inscription by UNESCO highlighted the quality and state of preservation of Quito’s historic district, which is frequently cited among the most important in the Americas.

• The designated historic centre covers approximately 320 hectares (about 790 acres) in the south-central portion of the city.
• Within this area are roughly 130 monumentally classified buildings featuring a wide range of religious art, sculpture and decorative programs produced in various artistic schools and styles.
• Local authorities have recorded some 5,000 properties in the municipal heritage registry that contribute to the district’s cultural significance.

The combination of well-preserved civic spaces, churches, monasteries and private residences gives Quito’s historic centre a strong concentration of colonial-era architecture and artistic heritage, important both to national identity and to visitors from across Latin America and beyond.