CALLS THE ROUND

This is one of the prettiest streets in old Quito. It's not to be missed, but you must be careful, as it's not always well-frequented, and you shouldn't stroll down it alone or with valuables or money after dark. This street retains all the charm of a traditional Spanish village alley, narrow and steep with its string of old houses with colonial facades, white walls, tiled roofs and elaborate balconies. Proof of its aesthetic value, Ronda is often reproduced by watercolorists in El Ejido Park. The house at numbers 949 and 963 (it has two entrances), a true colonial jewel, is one of the oldest in Quito. The nuns of this Hogar de La Paz (Home of Peace) take in underprivileged children (visit possible). In the 1900s, the street was the haunt of artists and intellectuals, poets, writers, painters and singers of all stripes. It was famous for its bars and cabarets. Today, it is home to small restaurants offering typical Ecuadorian cuisine, literary and bohemian cafés, a legendary picantería, and a traditional confectionery that is very famous in Quito. A number of decorative candle makers, fortune-tellers, healers and musicians are also to be found on the Rue de La Ronda, where you can also sample Quito's famous canelazos accompanied by excellent empanadas de viento.