LIKE a superhero in some crazily-plotted sci-fi movie, I’m deep inside a mysterious and giant-sized bar of gold. That, at any rate, is how I imagine things.

But I’m actually in the most magnificent church I’ve ever entered — a tranquil place I consider more gobsmackingly beautiful than even the grandest churches of Europe.

Incredibly, the entire interior — every nook and cranny — is totally wallpapered in seven tonnes of gold leaf.

Shards of sunlight pierce its dim interior, hitting expanses of wall which glisten as if floodlit. In the background, an unseen organ’s religious music accentuates the sacredness of La Compañia, a Jesuit place of worship that took a whopping 160 years to build.

Priceless religious artworks adorn the walls. Intricately carved altars and lovingly sculpted Catholic statues dot the nave. Rows of pews aren’t completely deserted: though no service is in progress, fifty-four of the faithful kneel in silent prayer.

According to local historians’ research, when age wearied craftsmen were hired for this mammoth construction project, their sons eagerly immigrated from Spain to replace them — and, decades later, their grandsons also followed.

Courtyard in the Convento de San Francisco. Picture: Alamy

La Compañia anchors a 320ha precinct called El Centro Historico, commonly referred to as “old Quito” or the “old city”.

Ringed by the Ecuadorean capital’s steel-and glass high-rise modernity, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed grid is considered by architectural experts as the supreme surviving example of a Spanish colonial city.

Within its modest boundaries, Quito’s showpiece is home to 40 churches, 16 convents and monasteries, 12 museums and 17 plazas. Connecting them is a latticework of little lanes along with narrow cobbled streets lined by fusty shops and family-run restaurants from which tempting aromas waft.

A cool breeze reminds me that Quito’s climate is mild — despite the equator being only 25km away. Altitude is responsible. Quito, at 2800m above sea level, is the world’s second-highest capital. Only La Paz, in the South American nation of Bolivia, is higher.

Though I’m walking on a flat footpath, I’m short of breath — as if climbing a steep hill. Visitors are advised to take a few days to acclimatise. A few become ill or gulp pills preventing altitude sickness.

Plaza de San Francisco and Church and Monastery of St. Francis. Picture: Alamy

An easy amble from La Compañia brings me to one of El Centro Historico’s major squares, Plaza San Francisco. It’s dominated by one of South America’s most important outposts of Catholicism’s Franciscan order, the Church and Convent of St Francis.

Inside this art-filled church — where, in 1535, builders began construction atop the ruins of an ancient Inca palace — is one of Quito’s most revered icons: an 18th-century sculpture called Virgin of Quito.

I wander to an adjoining convent and pause in a palm-studded courtyard before rambling through a museum’s explanation of how the complex took shape.

It’s time for a beer. I take an alfresco seat at a restaurant on the square called Capuleto.

Even though it’s described as Italian, Capuleto serves Ecuadorean fare and is famous for its ceviche (raw fish cooked in lime juice and salt). This is Ecuador’s national dish, even though — with slightly varying ingredients — it’s also claimed to have been created elsewhere in South America. At casual Capuleto, I notice, many locals drop in just for a coffee.

What’s more, it’s a prime spot for people-watching. Dining alone, I dip into a guidebook revealing that 1.5 million of Ecuador’s 12.5 million people live in Quito. Ecuador, the smallest Andean country, is less European-flavoured than Argentina or Chile.

In fact, 60 per cent of Ecuadorians are mestizos (mixed race) with one in five a pure-blooded South American Indian and only 10 per cent of European (overwhelmingly Spanish) stock.

The edges of Plaza San Francisco are dotted with kiosks offering tours and side-trips. Like Quito’s other squares, this one has a good choice of nearby historic hotels — such as the antique-stuffed Hotel San Francisco de Quito built in the 17th century.

Lottery ticket sellers in one of the main squares. Picture: iStock

Both Plaza del Gobernador and Plaza Sucre are recommended as they are dripping with colonial history but I stroll instead to Plaza Independencia — generally known to Quiteños as Plaza Grande — which oozes its Spanish past and boasts historic buildings on all sides.

At tree-shaded benches on the square, old men in neatly-pressed suits sit, as they do every day, watching the passing parade as if seeing it for the first time. I do the same, sipping coffee at a Hotel Plaza Grande table overlooking the square. This former Spanish-colonial residence is arguably Quito’s most opulent boutique hotel.

On the plaza’s north-western side is the Palacio de Carondelet, Ecuador’s presidential palace and one of Quito’s most imposing buildings.

Suddenly, I’m glad it’s Monday. It’s when a weekly changing the guard ceremony happens. This explains the large crowd, far outnumbering the old men.

It’s an occasion for pageantry: soldiers marching past in blue uniforms or trotting by on horseback as a military band plays.

Over the next few days I take several more walks through El Centro Historico. Serendipitously, I chance upon colourful religious processions making their way to one or other of the neighbourhood’s many churches.

La Ronda picturesque curve street in colonial Quito, Ecuador.

From El Centro Historico, I begin an uphill trudge to El Panecillo, overlooking the old city and promising great views of it. Also, I want to see La Virgen del Panecillo, a famous statue of the Virgin Mary. Quito, cocooned by surrounding mountains, lies sprawled beneath me with El Centro Historico at its heart.

But a much higher soft adventure awaits: Teleferico, a 15-minute ride in a four-seater cabin that whisks me to 4000m above sea level. The entire city is sprawled below and I count six volcanoes amid mountains surrounding the city like a moat.

Buying a ticket is a noisy push-and-shove experience (beware of pickpockets, I’m warned) that’s perfect for sharp-elbowed travellers — a complete contrast to the splendid tranquillity of La Compañia.

The writer was a guest of Inca Tours.

GO2

ECUADOR

GETTING THERE

Chilean airline LAN flies from Sydney to Santiago, with connections to Quito.

See lan.com

STAYING THERE

Quito has many options in all accommodation categories. Upscale lodgings include the centrally located Hilton Colon Quito which sometimes has discounts.

See hilton.com

TOURING THERE

Ecuador’s main attraction is the Galápagos Islands, famed for its unique wildlife. The country’s No. 2 city, Guayaquil, attracts many tourists. Closer to Quito, 100km to its north, is Otavalo — a popular day trip to one of the continent’s best South American Indian markets. Peguche, 5km from Otavalo, is an artists’ colony renowned for tapestry souvenirs.

East of Quito is Tambillo, with a 20-minute tourist train ride to a hacienda with llamas, alpacas and Ecuadorean chagras (cowboys). Or, 57km south of the city, ice-capped Cotopaxi is an active volcano beneath which boardwalks explore Cotopaxi National Park.

WHEN TO GO

An all-year destination. However, mid-June to early September and late December to early January are peak seasons when prices are higher. June-September are Quito’s coolest months (pack a warm sweater for evenings).

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See ecuador.travel