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District · Quito

La MariscalLa Mariscal (Mariscal Sucre)

Flat, dense with hotels, restaurants and Plaza Foch's bars; loud on Friday and Saturday nights. Use cars after dark.

sleepeatdrink

Key facts

Suits
First visit, late arrivals, restaurants and nightlife
Room prices
$$
price band of 5
Sights here
1
Eats here
1

What it's like

Feels:
Hotels, cafés, bars and travellers' restaurants on flat streets
Suits:
First visit, late arrivals, restaurants and nightlife
Best time:
Evenings, weekends
Watch out for:
Walking home at midnight; leaving drinks unattended.
In short:
Flat, dense with hotels, restaurants and Plaza Foch's bars; loud on Friday and Saturday nights. Use cars after dark.

About these names

Quito's official parishes and neighbourhood names overlap; this table uses the names taxi drivers and hotels use. In ride-hailing apps, search by street intersection.

A first visit fits in a strip about 6 km long: the Historic Centre at the south end, La Mariscal 3–4 km north, La Carolina another 1–2 km beyond, and Guápulo dropping off the ridge on the east side. Everything between clusters is a car ride.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

La Mariscal on the Quito mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Historic Centre · $$La Mariscal · $$

La MariscalLa Mariscal (Mariscal Sucre)

sleepeatdrinkPrice $$

Flat, dense with hotels, restaurants and Plaza Foch's bars; loud on Friday and Saturday nights. Use cars after dark.

Suits: First visit, late arrivals, restaurants and nightlife

On the map: Plaza Foch

District guideWalk: La MariscalSleep: La MariscalIn the districts table

Off the map: Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) (60–90 min by the usual route).

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Itchimbía, González Suárez and La Floresta, Bellavista, South Quito (Quitumbe, Chimbacalle). See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Historic Centre (Centro Histórico) (Centro Histórico): Beautiful and steep, quiet at night. Sleep here only if you accept car rides after dark. Suits: Churches, plazas, La Ronda, one to two mornings. Price band $$.
  • La Mariscal (La Mariscal (Mariscal Sucre)): Flat, dense with hotels, restaurants and Plaza Foch's bars; loud on Friday and Saturday nights. Use cars after dark. Suits: First visit, late arrivals, restaurants and nightlife. Price band $$.
  • La Carolina (La Carolina): The park is the city's big lung; towers and malls around it. A calm daytime area; less atmosphere after dark. Suits: Park, botanical garden, malls, rainy-day options.
  • Guápulo (Guápulo): A ridge village with steep stairs and stone lanes. Come by car; walk down, not up. Suits: Views, an 18th-century church, bohemian cafés.
  • Itchimbía (Parque Itchimbía): A hilltop park above the old town; go by car in daylight. Suits: Viewpoint, picnic and a glass-and-iron cultural hall.
  • González Suárez and La Floresta (González Suárez / La Floresta): Between the Historic Centre and Guápulo; a good second-visit base. Suits: Quieter, leafier, boutique hotels, cafés.
  • Bellavista (Bellavista): On a hillside north-east of La Carolina; take a car both ways. Suits: Guayasamín's Capilla del Hombre and house museum.
  • South Quito (Quitumbe, Chimbacalle): Working-class districts; Quitumbe is the long-distance bus terminal, 15+ km from the centre. Suits: Bus station and the old railway only.
  • Sleep area Historic Centre: suits Churches, plazas, La Ronda, one to two mornings, price band $$.
  • Sleep area La Mariscal: suits First visit, late arrivals, restaurants and nightlife, price band $$.
  • Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), 60–90 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Quito districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.

  • First visit

    2nd of 2

    Flat, but the Historic Centre is a 15–25 min car ride.

    Better for this: Historic Centre (Centro Histórico)

  • Families

    best of 2

    Restaurants, supermarkets and flat pavements; the noise is the cost.

  • Light sleepers

    2nd of 2

    Weekend nights around Plaza Foch are loud: ask for a room away from the street.

    Better for this: Historic Centre (Centro Histórico)

  • Night owls

    best of 2

    Bars, restaurants and live music on the doorstep.

  • On a budget

    best of 2

    Wide range from hostels to mid-range hotels.

See

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

  • Plaza FochGo

    The small square that anchors La Mariscal's cafés and restaurants: a base for dinner, not a sight.

    Hours:
    The plaza is open at all hours; venues keep their own hours.(check)
    Entry:
    Free

Eat

What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.

  • Restaurants around Plaza Foch

    The densest choice of dinner tables in Quito; walk in before 20:00, or book on busy nights, then take a car home.

    Order: Ceviche: Ask for 'ceviche mixto' if you want fish and shrimp.

    Price: A main course is $8–14 in local places one street back from the plaza; the plaza itself is at the top of the range.

Sleep

  • La Mariscal$$

    First-timers and late arrivals: a hotel with a 24-hour desk on a flat street, walking distance to restaurants and a car ride to the old town.

    Rooms: $10–18 dorm bed · $30–55 double (check)

    Skip this if: Noisy bars on Friday and Saturday nights.

    3–6 min walk to La Mariscal · 25–32 min walk to La Carolina · 40–55 min walk to Historic Centre (Centro Histórico)

Drink and nightlife

Lines from the Quito drinking guide that name this district.

  • Plaza Foch and Reina Victoria (La Mariscal) · Bars, restaurants, live music · until about 02:00 on Friday and SaturdayBusy and loud; watch your drink and use a car home.
  • Craft beer · Ecuadorian pale ales, stouts and lagers · until about 23:00 · $3.50–6La Floresta, La Mariscal, González Suárez

Shopping

Markets and shopping streets from the Quito buying guide that name this district.

  • Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal · Wool jumpers, panama hats (toquilla straw), tagua nut carvings, textiles · Daily, about 09:00–19:00 (check) · haggling: lightCovered stalls in La Mariscal; the easiest place to compare prices.
  • Panama (toquilla straw) hats · La Mariscal artisan market; specialist shops around Plaza Grande · Shop hoursHand-woven from toquilla straw; the finer the weave the higher the price; a quality hat is $30 or more.
  • Alpaca and wool clothing · La Mariscal, Otavalo · Shop hoursCheck the label for content; expect polyester in the low-price stalls.

Getting there and around

Where to get off

  • Plaza Foch, La Mariscal · for Plaza Foch

On to the next area

From other sleep areas

  • From Historic Centre: 40–55 min walk to La Mariscal

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Safety at night and noise

  • La Mariscal and Plaza Fochday: oknight: caution

    Nightlife crowds, bag snatching and drink spiking: use cars after dark.

  • Quiet nights

    Weekend nights around Plaza Foch are loud: ask for a room away from the street.

  • Nightlife

    Bars, restaurants and live music on the doorstep.

  • Late arrival

    Many hotels here keep a 24-hour desk; still confirm before a night flight.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Quito districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.