Cities are known and discovered through their neighborhoods, spaces that reveal many origins of the metropolis, as well as their transformations and future perspectives, this is the case of La Mariscal neighborhood. They transmit local identity and make visitors to fall in love with those places. Neighborhoods are the color and the flavor that you can experiment as a tourist.
La Mariscal, a complex and attractive territorial dynamism
One of these places is La Mariscal, a Neighborhood located in the north-center of the city of Quito, Ecuador, which evolved in the mid-20th century as a concept of urban development that left behind the colonial model of the historical downtown of Quito.
A model of private and public spaces traced its way, giving the first steps to a more complex territorial dynamism, and beyond all doubts, more attractive.
La Mariscal established as a neighborhood that agglomerates lots of Quito’s history and culture, so it’s the perfect place to visit and discover many attractions.
Museums of interest in La Mariscal
One of these interest places is Museum Abya Yala, which exhibits archeological elements and pieces, along with the city’s ethnography.
Museo Nacional del Ecuador also features the best plastic art treasures. With an inventory of around 800 sculptures, paintings, drawings and photographys. It’s a space that allows the tourist to discover many faces and social, economic, political and artistic expressions that makes Ecuador what it is today.
Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana is another museum you must visit, which is considered the most important and emblematic artistic and cultural institution in Ecuador. Its construction started in 1944 with the help of Bejamín Carrión, a Quito journalist, and the support from the former president of Ecuador Carlos Arroyo del Río.
Also, don’t forget to visit Centro Cultural Benjamin Carrion, a place that promotes philosophy and literature, as well as Archivo Histórico and Biblioteca del Museo Nacional, which both preserves Ecuador’s historical memory, which without doubts is in a bunch of Quito’s places.
If you like independent films and productions, El Útero is a must visit place, as well as Microteatro UIO. Also, is worth visiting Galería Kingman, which has a vast collection from the great Ecuadorian master from 20th century, Eduardo Kingman, the “hand painter”.
Appreciate the gastronomy and visit the handicrafts market in La Mariscal
To enrich your visit to La Mariscal, the places to taste delicious dishes and buy handicrafts from Quito and Ecuador are a magnificent option. Galería Ecuador Gourmet is the place where you’ll taste typical dishes, taste local coffee, chocolate with flavors and essences, and buy handicrafts, jewelry, cloths and many other high quality products made in Ecuador.
Mercado de artesanías GoRaymi, one of the biggest references of local products, is the perfect place to find unique souvenirs from the city, with bright and colorful fabrics, woven garments, rugs, paintings, hats, bags and jewelry with an infinite design selection. For sure, this is a place full of life, tradition and national culture.
La Mariscal: a good place to begin your journey in Quito
You can explore the city and stay in this neighborhood, taking it as a starting point for your trip to Quito, appreciating the historical, economical and urban process, that transformed and turned the Ecuadorian capital into an exceptional, varied, diverse, fun, surprising, exquisite and very attractive metropolis; In a word, cosmopolitan.
An excellent choice to accommodate is Boutique Hotel Antinea, a first class, French style hotel located in La Mariscal, Quito. The hotel is made up of two houses declared “Cultural Heritage of Quito”, in the most cozy and European street of Quito.