Quito

Quito's site was inhabited for thousands of years, and in the late fifteenth century it became the northern capital of the Inca Empire. Rather than let it fall to the Spanish, the Inca general Rumiñahui is said to have burned the city in 1534. Spanish conquistadors refounded it that same year as San Francisco de Quito, and over the following centuries the 'Quito School' of artists filled its churches with gold leaf, sculpture and painting. The first cries for independence in Spanish America rang out here on 10 August 1809. Ecuador became fully independent in 1830. In 1978 Quito's old town was among the very first places named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with Ecuador's Galápagos Islands.

Life in Quito blends Andean Indigenous traditions with Spanish colonial heritage. Markets sell bright textiles, potatoes of many varieties and fresh tropical fruit from the lowlands. Try locro de papa, a creamy potato soup with cheese and avocado, and canelazo, a warm cinnamon drink. Because of the altitude, take it easy for the first day and drink plenty of water. Quiteños celebrate the city's founding in early December with parades, music and dancing.