Street La Ronda, Quito's oldest ...
This narrow, winding street, obviously very
Spanish by name and by the characteristic style of old houses, is of pure indigenous
origin. Presumably this small street goes back all the way to 1480, when the Incas first
came to Quito.
The second moment in the history of Street La Ronda was when the Spanish gave it
its name as what we know it until these days. La Ronda comes from the traditional nightly
rounds done through the city as of 1580.
La Ronda is one of the most traditional streets of Quito, not only for being the
oldest and one of the most beautiful of the capital of Ecuador (a UNESCO World Heritage
Site), but for being the bohemian heart of the historic, gathering place for painters,
writers and poets of the 30s. In the houses of this narrow street many of the traditional
folk songs were written and on its walkways politicians, romantics and bohemians spent
their time. Today, La Ronda has regained its charm with galleries, cafes, bars and
shops that have moved into its historical houses.
