El Panecillo & Virgin of Quito
El Panecillo / Virgen del Panecillo
A 41-metre-tall winged aluminium statue of the Virgin on the summit of the small hill south of the Old Town. You can climb to the platform at its base for views over all of Quito.
El Panecillo ('the little bread loaf') rises to about 3,000 m. The 'Virgin of Quito' statue on its summit was completed in 1976 and is assembled from more than 7,000 aluminium sheets. It is one of the largest aluminium statues in the world and depicts a winged Virgin standing on a serpent. The observation platform at the base (about USD 1–2) looks south over the New Town and north over the Old Town and the Basilica of the National Vow. On clear days you can see the snow peak of Cotopaxi. The stairway section of the walk up is not safe, so it's best to take a taxi there and back (about USD 5, and you can ask the driver to wait).
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–17:00 (observation platform)
Nearby sights
- La Ronda
- Museo de la Ciudad
- Santo Domingo Church & Plaza
- Casa del Alabado Museum
- Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
- Church of the Society of Jesus (La Compañía)
- Centro Cultural Metropolitano
- Plaza Grande & Metropolitan Cathedral