Tourist attractions in Ecuador
San Francisco Religious Complex
San Francisco Religious Complex
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Calles Cuenca Nº477 y SucreNearby attractions
Places to visit within 30 km.
Compañia de Jesus Church & Convent
The Church and the convent "San Ignacio de Loyola" of the Society of Jesus, also known simply as "La Compañía", is a catholic complex located on the corner of Garcia Moreno and Sucre streets, in the historical center of Quito, capital of Ecuador, and cultural heritage of humanity. The facade of its main temple is carved in stone and is considered to be one of the most important expressions of the baroque architecture in America and the whole world. The inner decoration of the church is covered by 7 tons of sheets of 23-carat gold leaf, making it an economic and artistic heritage of incalculable value. As a tourist attraction, it is one of the most important in Quito. The company was visited by two popes, Juan Pablo II in 1985 and Francisco in 2015. The construction of the church took 160 years from 1605. All works conceived by European artists, to the church, were put into practice by mestizos as Bernardo Legarda and by indigenous artists such as Manuel Chili "Caspicara", that they printed their personal stamp through representations of native flora and symbols of the ancient villages of the Audience. The styles used are the baroque, the Mudejar or Moorish, the Churrigueresque and the neoclassical. “La Compañía” is a chest of colonial religious art treasures. Its exquisite art gallery houses works of the Quito School, exhibited on the walls of the church and the convent, including "The Four Evangelists", "The Cardinals of the Company of Jesus" and "The Sixteen Prophets". There are two sacred treasures in the temple: the remains of Saint Mary of Jesus, the first Ecuadorian Saint proclaimed in 1950 and the Picture of the Miracle of the Painful Virgin.
0.15 Km.
Pork Sandwiches Street
The culture of the pig plays a leading role in the gastronomy and the nutrition of the population of Cuenca, heritage of the colony. One version of this culture is the hind leg sandwiches. There are dozens of places to eat a good sandwich in the Historical Center of Cuenca. But one corner has been very popular for five decades: Juan Jaramillo and Miguel Angel Estrella, San Blas parish. There are three places that sell leg sandwiches, accompanied by natural juices or cold drinks. They are hollow patrimonial places ideal to talk about trivial topics in good company, while eating a sandwich. Juan Jaramillo's "soda fountains" became so popular that many customers turned their star product into an everyday meal, not just an appetizer. The pork leg is obtained from the pig's leg that is marinated and cooked over a low heat. From this, pieces of meat are removed to make the sandwich. It is customary for the consumer to season it with a powerful chili mixed with onions, which provides the hollow. They serve the same, but the taste in each of these places is different. There is more of a difference when you try the chili. The ideal topping is very cold coconut juice. The sandwich, a fast and cheap meal, had an aristocratic origin. It was invented by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, in the 18th century, to give free rein to his obsession with playing cards. With this candy he could play non-stop while eating. Today, the sandwich, an Ecuadorian adaptation of the English word sandwich, accepted by the RAE as a sandwich or sandwich, is undoubtedly a popular meal.
7.91 Km.
The Middle of the World
The Middle of the World is the perfect place for a walk, because it emphasizes the exact location of the Equator, from which the country of Ecuador takes its name. It is located in the parish of San Antonio de Pichincha, at the north of Quito’s city. The main attraction of the place is the monument to the middle of the world, that reminds the French-Spanish geodesic mission of the 18th century that located the site where the Equator passes; but the ethnographic museum of the Middle of the World is also there. The attraction complements with a small city around the monument called “Middle of the World City” (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo), which is a replica of a Spanish colonial village. In addition to this is important to name some other monuments that are located at the Equator, as they are: Catequilla Hill, the solar watch “Quitsato” and the ancient pyramid of Calacalí. The obelisk of the Middle of the World, which is 30 meters high, was built between 1979 and 1982. It ends in a globe of 4.5 meters in diameter and 5 tons. Inside it there is a small museum. There are four pavilions at the “Middle of the World City”. Pavilion “Oswaldo Guayasamín” has an exhibition of works by the famous Ecuadorian painter. Another of the pavilions is France, where the Geodesic Museum is located. At the sun’s pavilion there is some information exhibited about Guayaquil and Cuenca cities. The visitors can enjoy a total of 11 different attractions, some of these are: the Planetarium, a mockup of colonial Quito, the Insectarium (First Insect Museum of Ecuador) and the Craft Beer Museum. During weekends and holidays the visitors can enjoy festivals, dances and some others artistic expressions at the town square.
25.15 Km.
Intiñan Site Museum in the Middle of the World
Intiñán. Quechua word that means Way of the Sun. It is the name of the Site Museum in San Antonio de Pichincha. It is 200 meters from the Museum and the Middle of the World City. Intiñán is a center of scientific and anthropological diffusion. Perhaps its most publicized aspect is the scientific one because of the "egg demonstration". Visitors are challenged to balance an egg on the head of a nail, in a perpendicular way. The Museum gives a certificate to those who succeed. The second surprising demonstration is the "Coriolis Effect". When the cap is removed from a container full of water, the drain is perpendicular. No schedule, no anti-clockwork. Two proofs that people are in the Middle of the World, on the Equator. Under its consequences. There's a second aspect not so well known. This is an anthropological museum. It spreads the solar knowledge of the Ecuadorian aboriginal peoples and their cultures. Intiñan has an attractive distribution. The Solar Cylinder or "Acoratene" to observe the movement of the Sun. In its center the Chakana. The kuri-cancha to celebrate equinoxes and solstices. With capacity for 400 people. The totemic forest and the Atlantis. The replica of a funeral tola. The Solar Calendar indicates the position of the earth in relation to the sun. The Shuar, Waorani, Qichua and Salasaca cultures have their very particular rooms. These expose their characters, customs, ways of life and the environment in which they develop. The visit is not complete without knowing something about the Galapagos Islands and seeing the Andean camelid corral. The Intiñán Museum, a family initiative, has several decades of experience. It is a project initiated in 1960 by professor, journalist and researcher Humberto Vera. It is continued by his son Fabián Vera. The San Antonio de Pichincha parish, north of Quito, is world famous. The Equinoctial Line, which divides the world into two halves, passes through this place.
25.33 Km.