Independence Plaza (Plaza de la Independencia)
- Address:Plaza de la Independencia, Old Town, Quito
- Admission:Free
2:42 PM Sunday, May 27
Scattered clouds. Mild.
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Plaza de la Independencia, known as Plaza Grande to the locals, was Quito’s main square in the 16th century, serving as central market and bullfighting area.
The plaza contains several important buildings: the Archbishop’s Palace to the north, City Hall to the east, the cathedral to the south, and the white, neoclassical Palacio del Gobierno (Government Palace) to the west.
The Government Palace (re-built in 1920 after its original 1650 building was destroyed by fire) is not open to the public, but you can take a peek inside the main entrance, which is a beautiful example of Moorish architecture. There is a tourist information booth just behind the entrance gate.
You’ll find more Moorish-inspired work in the courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace (built in 1852) where there is also a small craft market and a few shops.
Superb guide, who had to make his commentary in two languages... Visited some wondeful sights and got to see in half a day a lot of the city... Highly recommended...
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We visited all the beautiful churches, we walked along the narrow colorful streets of old town Quito, we admired the view of the city from the Panecillo hill, I enjoyed the tour very much.
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Very informative guide, just enough time to see everything, including the Changing of the Guard at the Presidential Palace - that was one of the highlights of our trip. Excellent!
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Plaza de la Independencia is the Old Town’s main square and is bordered by Chile to the north, Calle Venezuela to the east, García Moreno to the west and Espejo to the south.
