"La Floresta" Graffiti Walk

I HIGHLY recommend the free walking tour of the Floresta neighborhood in Quito if you have the chance to do it.  The walk takes about 3 hours and it is a great overview of the lovely artsy neighborhood. I went with my host sister Gaby, her partner Juanse, their baby Luana, and my pals Emily and Dyalla. Here's the website where you can get more information: https://www.quitostreettours.com/street-art-and-local-life 

And here is an overview of what we did: 

Handmade, fair-trade shoe shop!

We started at the Swiss Hotel in central quito, then walked up towards the neighborhood while getting a quick tour of a local food market on the way. Our first stop was a local theatre called "Ocho y Medio" which doubles as a cute cafe. The neighborhood has a strict parking ban so you can clearly see the the colorfully decorated road blocks everywhere. 

I was quite pleased when we ended up at a well-known pottery studio in the area called "Perro de Loza" connected to a vegan restaurant called "Vegano de Altura." Meanwhile, our tour guide pointed out some beautifully painted murals. We stopped at a park where we received some free Pacari chocolate samples (delicious). 

The tour is "free" but really by donation. We thought the tour deserved at least $10 each and our guide was made happy by our tips. Worth the afternoon!