Parks in Quito Directory — The Urban Green Spaces Manual

Quito’s unique Andean geography—nestled at an average altitude of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet)—is beautifully complemented by a highly consolidated network of urban metropolitan parks. These green areas function as the essential "lungs" of the capital, offering residents, expats, and travelers safe, clean, and accessible spaces to practice sports, breathe fresh mountain air, and reconnect with nature without leaving the city.

From former airport runways transformed into massive ecological tracks to pre-Inca sacred spaces hosting 19th-century steel-and-glass crystal palaces, Quito's parks are rich in biodiversity, recreational facilities, and cultural history.

This directory provides an exhaustive, park-by-park guide detailing exact sizes, operational schedules, verified Google Maps links, star ratings, and lists of available activities.

🗺️ Master Green Space Directory

Below is a consolidated reference table for Quito’s major metropolitan parks, followed by deep-dives into each individual park's services, flora, fauna, and security protocols.

🌳 1. Deep-Dive: Parque Metropolitano Bicentenario

Parque Metropolitano Bicentenario represents one of the most ambitious and transformative urban planning projects in Quito’s modern history.

🛩️ Old Airport Runway (Closed 2013)
 │
 ├── 🚲 5km Road Cycling Loop
 ├── 🚴 4km Dedicated Bike Lane (Ciclovía)
 ├── 🏃 4.5km Pedestrian Runway Trail
 └── ⛪ 18m Papa Francisco Memorial Cross

• Size: Spanning between 103.28 hectares (officially) and 125 hectares (according to land registries), it constitutes the largest flat green space within the northern urban perimeter, easily surpassing Parque La Carolina.
• The Airport Heritage: The park's grounds were occupied from 1960 to 2013 by the historic Mariscal Sucre International Airport. Following municipal decisions to eliminate severe noise pollution, the airport was relocated to the warm valley of Tababela, allowing the former asphalt runways and terminals to be reclaimed as a public ecological forest and sports center.
• Activities & Infrastructure:
  1. The High-Speed Runway Tracks: The original airport runways have been converted into expansive tracks. It features a 5-kilometer route cycling circuit designed for road cyclists, 4 kilometers of dedicated bike lanes (ciclovías) for casual riding, and 4.5 kilometers of running/walking trails. This is the safest spot in the city to ride high-speed road bikes away from city traffic.
  2. Metropolitan Convention Center (CCMQ): Located on the southern edge, this state-of-the-art glass complex hosts Quito's largest commercial trade shows, exhibitions, and international summits.
  3. The Papa Francisco Cross: A majestic 18-meter-tall steel cross stands prominently in the center of the park, marking the exact spot where Pope Francis celebrated a monumental outdoor mass for over a million faithful in July 2015.
  4. Recreation & Family Amenities: Includes extensive playground equipment, sandboxes, outdoor gyms, concrete skating parks, dedicated sports courts for football and basketball, large open lawns for family picnics, and a designated dog-training park.
  5. Humedal Bicentenario (Wetland): A beautifully constructed artificial wetland designed to catch rainwater runoff, attract migrating highland waterbirds, and restore natural hydrological balances.
  6. Emergency Safety Zone: Strategically constructed as a wide, open safety buffer, the park is designated as the primary staging area and camp shelter for citizens in the event of severe Andean volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.
• Access & Multimodal Integration: Extremely easy to reach. The southern terminus of the park hosts the El Labrador Multimodal Metro Station, which seamlessly connects passengers from the Metro de Quito to the Trolebús, Ecovía, and BiciQuito public bicycle networks.

🌸 2. Deep-Dive: Parque La Carolina

Serving as the buzzing financial and recreational heart of modern northern Quito (New Town), Parque La Carolina covers 67 hectares expropriated by the municipality in 1939 from the historic Hacienda La Carolina.

Specialized Enclosures & Educational Centers

Unlike other open parks, La Carolina contains several high-quality, specialized enclosures that require independent entry fees and schedules:

• Jardín Botánico de Quito (Quito Botanical Garden):
  • Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.7 ★ (4,500+ reviews)
  • Schedule: Daily from 09:00 AM to 17:00 PM.
  • Cost: \$3.50 USD for adults; \$2.00 USD for children and students.
  • The Experience: A jaw-dropping sanctuary showcasing Ecuador’s stunning biological diversity. The crown jewel is the Orquideario (orchid greenhouse), which houses nearly 1,000 species of native orchids. It features distinct microclimates representing the cloud forests, the hyper-humid Chocó, and the Andean paramos, complete with an ethno-botanical garden displaying medicinal plants.
• El Vivarium de Quito (Reptile House):
  • Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.4 ★ (1,600+ reviews)
  • Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:30 AM to 17:30 PM (Closed Mondays).
  • Cost: \$3.75 USD for adults; \$2.00 USD for children.
  • The Experience: Run by the herpetological foundation, this center houses a fascinating live collection of Ecuadorian snakes, frogs, turtles, and iguanas. Standard admission includes a guided 45-minute tour highlighting venomous pit vipers (like the Fer-de-Lance) and endangered amphibians. Note: Photography with flash is strictly prohibited due to the animals' optical sensitivity.
• Ecuadorian Science Nature Museum (MECN):
  • Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.3 ★ (1,100+ reviews)
  • Schedule: Mon–Fri: 08:30 – 13:00 / 13:45 – 16:30. Sat: 09:00 – 13:00. Sun: 10:00 – 14:00.
  • Cost: \$2.00 USD for adults.
  • The Experience: Showcases paleontology, mineral, and botanical samples illustrating Ecuador’s geological history. Features the popular Dinosaurs Museum containing moving, life-sized replicas of prehistoric creatures.
• Mundo Juvenil (Youth & Science Center):
  • Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.2 ★ (800+ reviews)
  • Schedule: Wed–Sun: 09:00 AM – 17:00 PM.
  • Cost: \$5.00 for adults; \$3.50 for children.
  • The Experience: Houses a mini planetarium, geological exhibits, and a child-themed theater that hosts regular weekend puppet shows.
• The Fantasy Airplane: A decommissioned passenger airplane parked in the center of the park, permanently transformed into a children's theater and muppet show venue. Open on weekends and holidays from 10:00 AM to 17:00 PM.

Open-Air Park Activities

• Nautical Lagoon: Rent pedal-boats or water-bikes to cruise through the winding artificial channels in the southeast corner.
• Sports Courts: Features over 40 courts, including soccer fields, clay tennis courts, basketball courts, and the highly animated Ecuavóley (traditional 3-on-3 high-net volleyball) arenas.
• Extreme Zones: Home to a professional, certified BMX track and a modern Skate Park complete with half-pipes and stunt ramps.
• The Monumental Cross: A giant concrete cross commemorating Pope John Paul II’s historic mass during his 1985 visit.

🌲 3. Deep-Dive: Parque Metropolitano Guanguiltagua

Reportedly the largest urban park in South America, Parque Metropolitano Guanguiltagua is a massive, semi-wild forested reserve covering 557 to 580 hectares draped across the Bellavista ridge.

🌲 580-Hectare Forest
 │
 ├── 🚲 Miles of Single-Track Downhill MTB Trails
 ├── 🥾 5km Primary Trekking Loop
 ├── 🦜 Birdwatching in Ashintaco Gorge
 └── 🌋 Cotopaxi & Antisana Viewpoints (Miradores)

• Flora & Fauna: The park is predominantly blanketed by towering eucalyptus forests planted in the 20th century. Its most pristine ecological zone is the Ashintaco Gorge on the northeast side. This natural canyon shelters over 70 species of nesting birds and 10 species of hummingbirds, including several endangered endemic species.
• Activities & Sightseeing:
  1. Trail Running & Hiking: Excellent for acclimatizing to high altitude. Features a well-marked 5km primary trail loop going between 2,890m and 3,050m.
  2. Mountain Biking: A world-class destination for cross-country and single-track downhill biking, with trails ranging from easy flats to extreme root-packed drops.
  3. The Miradores (Viewpoints): Four natural wooden viewpoints (such as Mirador Cotopaxi and Mirador Ilaló) that provide breath-taking, postcard-perfect vistas over the eastern valleys of Cumbayá and Tumbaco, backed by the snow-capped volcanic peaks of Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Antisana.
  4. Family Outings: The park is equipped with 10 rustic, covered public barbecue areas (huts) that Quiteño families reserve on weekends, alongside spacious open-air camping zones, children's wooden playgrounds, and a soccer field.
• Security: Highly secure during daylight hours, guarded by dedicated, active mounted private guards patrolling on horseback. Warning: Always exit the park before the 18:00 closing bell, as the dense forest lacks artificial trail lighting.

🏰 4. Deep-Dive: Parque Itchimbía

Perched at the summit of Itchimbía Hill, this 54-hectare park is a beautiful combination of nature, pre-Inca history, and 19th-century architecture.

• The Pre-Inca Solar Temple: Long before the Spaniards, the pre-Inca Quitu-Caras designated this hill as a sacred temple to worship the rising sun (Inti). In the 1920s, legendary archaeologist Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño excavated wealthy ancient tombs on the hillside, uncovering golden nose loops and ceremonial earrings.
• The Glass Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal):
  • Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.6 ★ (8,500+ reviews)
  • Schedule: Daily from 08:00 AM to 18:00 PM (Cultural exhibits).
  • The Experience: The park’s absolute architectural centerpiece is a spectacular steel-and-glass structure. Manufactured in Hamburg, Germany, in 1889, it was imported to serve as the Santa Clara market across town. In July 2004, the municipality completed the mammoth task of moving and reconstructing the entire structure on the hill. Today, it is equipped with high-tech temperature controls and operates as a prestigious cultural center and art museum.
• Recreational Services:
  • Features a 2.4km looping footpath designed for running and panoramic strolling.
  • Large grassy meadows that are highly popular for flying traditional kites during the dry, windy summer months of July and August.
  • The park has re-established native cloud-forest trees, including pumamaqui, quishuar, arrayán, álcaparro, and capulí.

🎨 5. Deep-Dive: Parque El Ejido

Stretching over 15 hectares, Parque El Ejido serves as the beautiful green boundary dividing the historic colonial Old Town from the modern high-rise North.

• Activities & Traditions:
  1. The Open-Air Weekend Art Market: On Saturdays and Sundays, the northern sidewalks along Avenida Patria transform into a bustling open-air market. Local artists exhibit and sell oil paintings, and Otavaleño merchants sell hand-crafted silver jewelry, alpaca ponchos, and Panama hats.
  2. The Traditional Game of Cocos: A deeply historical Quiteño game played exclusively on the dirt courts of El Ejido. Players use heavy steel balls to strike and knock opponent marbles out of a circular ring carved into the clay.
  3. Ecuavóley Tournaments: Famed for its highly animated, high-stakes local volleyball tournaments that gather massive, passionate crowds on weekends.
• Flora & Botanical Wealth: Home to 1,470 species of old-growth plants and trees, including towering aliso, guabos, chamburos, and native cholán trees that burst into yellow flowers.
• Historical Milestone: Features "La Llama Eterna" (The Eternal Flame) monument, built to honor President Eloy Alfaro, who was tragically executed and incinerated on this site in January 1912.

⛵ 6. Deep-Dive: Parque La Alameda

Constructed in the 16th century on pastures originally known as "Los Potreros del Rey" (The King's Pastures), the 6-hectare Parque La Alameda is officially the oldest public park in Quito.

• Key Attractions:
  1. Ecuadorian Astronomical Observatory:
     • Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.5 ★ (1,500+ reviews)
     • Schedule: Monday to Friday 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 15:00 PM – 17:00 PM. Saturdays 09:00 AM – 13:00 PM.
     • Cost: \$2.00 USD for adults; \$1.00 USD for students.
     • The Experience: Built in 1864 under President Gabriel García Moreno, this elegant, four-sided white observatory is the oldest of its kind in South America. It remains fully operational, housing a museum filled with 19th-century brass telescopes, pendulums, and astrolabes. It occasionally hosts evening stargazing sessions on clear summer nights.
  2. The Churo Viewpoint: A winding, spiral stone path leading to a small lookout dome perched on a hill, built during the colonial era to overlook the old city limits.
  3. The Alameda Lagoon: A historic artificial pond where travelers and local couples rent small rowboats to navigate around a central island.
  4. The Simon Bolívar Monument: A grand bronze statue of the Liberator, guarding the south entrance of the park since July 1935.

🚴 7. Deep-Dive: Sendero Ecológico El Chaquiñán

Inaugurated in September 2004, El Chaquiñán is a spectacular 20-kilometer linear ecological trail winding through the warm valley of Tumbaco.

• The Old Train Track: Built directly over the historic early 20th-century railway bed that once connected Quito to the northern valleys.
• Activities & Infrastructure:
  • Strictly reserved for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists (motorized vehicles are entirely banned).
  • Winds through scenic, semi-arid Andean canyons, crossing old brick railway tunnels and spanning high-altitude steel bridges over the Chiche River gorge.
  • Features 5 secure transit gates (Cumbayá, La Viña, La Esperanza, El Chiche, and Arrayanes) equipped with maps, water stations, and public restrooms.
  • Access Point: To begin, head to the roundabout of Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Cumbayá, where a marked detour leads to the trail's starting portal.

⛲ 8. The Specialized Neighborhood Parks

Parque de la Mujer y el Niño (Child and Woman Park)

• Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.4 ★ (3,500+ reviews)
• Schedule: Daily from 06:00 AM to 18:00 PM.
• Activities & Focus: A highly secure, fully enclosed neighborhood park on Mariana de Jesús Avenue, designed specifically as a safe space for families. It features modern children's playgrounds, clean sports courts, and a dedicated educational pavilion for mothers and infants.

Parque La Circasiana (Unicorn Park)

• Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.3 ★ (2,200+ reviews)
• Schedule: Daily from 06:00 AM to 19:00 PM.
• Activities & Focus: Built on the former estate gardens of the neoclassic Jijón Mansion (Quito's first grand neoclassical house). Today, the municipal heritage fund has turned the grand stone archway into a public garden famous for its whimsical unicorn stone sculptures.

Parque Inglés (English Park)

• Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.4 ★ (5,200+ reviews)
• Schedule: Daily from 06:00 AM to 21:00 PM.
• Activities & Focus: Located in northern San Carlos, this park features towering eucalyptus groves, sports courts, and a specialized asphalt mountain bike (MTB) pump track. It is highly popular at night due to its vibrant, multi-colored LED illumination system.

Parque El Arbolito

• Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.3 ★ (4,100+ reviews)
• Schedule: Open 24/7 (Daylight hours recommended).
• Activities & Focus: Positioned directly next to the Casa de la Cultura, this open lawn is the city's premier hub for practicing martial arts, tai-chi, and yoga. Children love climbing its signature, massive geometric climbing sphere.

Parque Río Grande (Big River Park)

• Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.2 ★ (1,600+ reviews)
• Schedule: Daily from 06:00 AM to 18:00 PM.
• Activities & Focus: Spans 20 hectares in the south of Quito, divided into three recreational zones. It features a large cycling loop, multiple sports fields, and a massive living plant labyrinth for children.

Parque Lineal Machángara

• Google Maps: Map & Reviews | 4.1 ★ (1,200+ reviews)
• Schedule: Daily from 06:00 AM to 18:00 PM.
• Activities & Focus: A multi-segment linear park built to decontaminate and ecologically recover the Machángara River banks. Segment 5 (Chimbacalle) covers 7 hectares with 1.2km of trails. Segment 6 (Rodrigo de Chávez) covers 9.4 hectares. It contains beautiful pedestrian footpaths, metal bridges, and children's playgrounds.

🛡️ Expat Safety & Practical Protocols

To ensure your visits to Quito’s parks are completely safe and enjoyable, always implement these safety measures: 1. Strict Running Windows: Do not run or stroll in city parks during early mornings, late evenings, or quiet afternoon hours (11:00 AM to 14:00 PM) when parks are empty. If you run, only do so in Carolina, Metropolitan, or Bicentenario parks during peak hours (06:00 to 09:00 AM or on weekends) with a friend or local running groups. 2. Beware of the "Spill Scam" near Park Edges: Be highly alert near the boundaries of El Ejido and La Alameda parks. If a stranger accidentally "spills" a substance on you (like mustard or water), do not stop to let their polite accomplices clean you [b2-quito-traveler-safety.md]. Immediately walk away to a secure lobby, as this is a classic distraction to pickpocket your daypack [b2-quito-traveler-safety.md]. 3. No Solo Hiking: If visiting El Panecillo or the skirts of Cruz Loma/Pichincha, always walk with a tour group or in company. Mugging hazards exist on desolate hillside steps. Take an Uber or taxi to the top rather than hiking lonely paths.

Last Updated: August 2026