El Panecillo stands guard over Quito, making it one of the city’s most recognizable and popular attractions. Just about every city sightseeing tour makes a stop at the lookout, including night tours that offer the opportunity to see the city illuminated from this hilltop vantage point. For those visiting independently, there’s no fee for visiting the observation point, but there is a small admission charge to climb to the top of the monument.
El Panecillo should be on every first-timer’s must-see list.
If you’re visiting independently, give yourself 30 minutes to take in the sights.
The lookout point on El Panecillo is wheelchair accessible.
Don’t forget your camera; the views from the top of El Panecillo are postcard-worthy.
Although it’s possible to walk up a staircase to the top of the Virgin of El Panecillo, the hillside isn’t the safest area. It’s better to hire a taxi in Old Town or join a guided sightseeing tour.
Your best bet for unobstructed views from the Virgin of El Panecillo is early in the morning before the clouds roll in. On clear days, you can see as far as the Cotopaxi volcano.
El Panecillo is topped by a 135-foot (41-meter) aluminum statue of the Virgin of Quito, complete with wings, a crown of stars, and a chained dragon. Built in 1976, the now-iconic statue took inspiration from theVirgin of the Apocalypse of the Immaculate Conception statue inside the Church of San Francisco.