Plaza Grande

Welcome to the Plaza Grande, officially the Plaza de la Independencia. If Quito has a living room, this is it. Sit on a bench for a moment: you're about 2,818 metres above sea level, the city's official reference altitude, and it's wise to take the slopes calmly from the very start.

1Four powers, four sides

Turn slowly on the spot. On the García Moreno side is Carondelet Palace, seat of the presidency, with its white colonnade. To the south, the Cathedral, one of the oldest in South America. To the north, the Archbishop's Palace, now a passage of courtyards, shops and restaurants. And to the east, the Municipal Palace, the only modern building: it went up in the 1970s on the site of the old town hall.

2From bare ground to garden

In colonial times this was a packed-earth esplanade with a fountain, used as a market and, at festivals, even for bullfights. In the late 19th century it became a French-style garden, the oldest palm trees date from then, and in 1906 the monument to the heroes of 10 August 1809 was unveiled in the centre.

In 1978 Quito's historic centre was one of the first places inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, together with Kraków.

Today the square belongs to pensioners chatting, shoeshiners, ice-cream sellers and groups who come to protest in front of the palace. It's a great place to watch Quito life go by. As in any busy spot, keep an eye on your belongings.

3What to look for

• The condor and the lion on the central monument.
• Carondelet's colonnade and its guards.
• The courtyards of the Archbishop's Palace, open to the public through the passage.