La Ronda, more specifically known as Calle La Ronda is more popular at night. It offers a vibrant restaurant and cafe scene with live music and more. However, as we were in the area, walking around the historical center of Quito, we decided to check it out by day and planned to return another night. By day, La Ronda is quiet. It’s quiet in a good way and feels peaceful and safe compared to other parts of the city where it’s practically unthinkable to whip out your camera to photograph a door or the façade of an ice-cream shop.
La Ronda is one of the oldest streets in Quito. There are explanations set up along the street about who lived there, what shops were operated, and how the street came to be. It’s interesting, and would have been even more interesting if more of the cafes were open so we could have sat down for a warm cup of coffee in the surprisingly cold city only thirty minutes away from the equator. We ducked into a couple of art exhibitions, (above is a piece by Carmen Davila Falconi) walked the entire length of the calle, and looked forward to returning to a more vibrant night scene next week!