A Visit to Quito's Parks
Metropolitano, Carolina, Ejido and Alameda
Going a little city-crazy in South America? You don't have to leave Quito to get your nature fix. Here are four parks you'll want to check out.
Metropolitan Park (Parque Metropolitano)
At roughly 600 hectares, Metropolitan park is the largest urban park in South America. It is the most natural of Quito’s four major parks, featuring hiking and bike trails, picnic areas and a great view of the valley. It’s located up the mountain from the Olympic stadium. It is home to many species of birds, including several types of hummingbird. It’s not on any major public transportation routes, so unless you have a car or take a taxi, it can be difficult to get to. Admission is free.
Carolina Park (Parque Carolina)
Carolina Park is the heart of the city. This spacious, popular park is packed on the weekends with families who love to play sports. There are tennis courts, several soccer fields, basketball and volleyball courts, a small waterway where you can rent paddleboats, a mountain biking track, and any number of vendors and makeshift games of skill and chance. Even if you don’t want to play, it’s well worth going just to hang out and people-watch. Carolina Park is also home to Quito’s Botanical Garden and Museum of Natural Science.
Botanical Garden: Daily except for Monday 9-5, Monday 9-12:30. Admission: $1.50
Museum of Natural Science: Friday 8:30 – 1:00 and 2:00 – 4:30, Saturday 9-1, Sunday 10-2
Getting there: The Park is located between the parallel avenues of Shyris and Amazonas: many buses run along one or the other. Also, you can take the Ecovia to the Benalcázar stop and the park is about two blocks west.
Alameda Park
Right in the center of the city, between the historic old town and the newer northern part, Alameda Park is the site of the old observatory. Back when the observatory was built, Alameda Park was far enough outside the city so that it was a viable place for a telescope. Urban sprawl has since surrounded the park, and although there is too much light pollution for the telescopes to work very well, they are still there and functional: on clear nights they are still sometimes used.
The elegant building is home to a museum and planetarium, and is currently undergoing extensive renovations as part of a local effort to salvage important architecture. The park is also home to a small lake (or a large pond, if you will) where you can rent paddleboats.
Observatory: not currently open to the public (as of December 2007) until renovations are completed. You may, however, be able to talk your way inside for an informal tour.
Getting there: Alameda Park is on both the Trole and Ecovia lines in addition to several bus lines.
El Ejido Park (Parque el Ejido)
Conveniently located just to the south of the hip Mariscal district, El Ejido Park is home to a weekend art and handicraft market. If you can’t make it to the native market at Otavalo, this is the next best thing. You’ll also see several local artists displaying their paintings for sale. While many of the paintings are knock-offs of works by the master Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamín, some are quite good, and there is a wide variety of styles, sizes and quality.
