11/09/2026
QUITO
(Galapagos Islands Adventure)
A free day in Quito meant the city was ours to wander, and it was buzzing.
We kicked off the morning on the actual equator line, which, in one particular local’s case, runs dead-center through his living room. After years of meticulous, obsessive research, he’s convinced the official monuments are off by yards, and standing in his courtyard while he passionately defends his grid lines is the kind of travel memory money can't buy.
From there, we bussed up to Panecillo Hill. Standing under the massive wings of the Virgin of Quito, we looked out over a sea of terracotta roofs spilling endlessly into the Andean foothills.
Heading back down, we lost ourselves in the old town's colonial core. Between the gold-leaf churches, packed plazas, and bustling artisan stalls, we just fell into step with hundreds of locals out enjoying a Sunday stroll.
Naturally, a deep-dive dark chocolate tasting led straight to the only logical finale: a double scoop of artisan chocolate ice cream to close out the day.