Ecuador

Quito

Student Life

Having fun is a big part of studying abroad. We are dedicated to making sure you have a fantastic time and experience all there is to offer.

City life

Quito, Ecuador's capital city, offers a natural beauty that is, quite literally, breathtaking. Study Spanish where you can enjoy year-round spring weather and proximity to snow-capped volcanoes, majestic mountains and lush rainforests.

Explore

After your Spanish class, go horseback riding in the mountains nearby. Marvel at the Iglesia de la Merced, one of the last churches constructed in the colonial period or see the image of the Virgin of the Americas at the top of Panecillo Hill. The Galapagos Islands, the Amazon and the Andes - Quito is close to exotic attractions and natural wonders.

Volunteering

This help is invaluable, the experience unforgettable, and the options varied. Included are: environmental, cultural, educational, agricultural and social orginizations, with the option of either working a few hours a week while taking your Spanish course or, after your course is complete, going to live and work within or nearby a community.

Events in Quito

Ecuador Street Art Festival
Jul 2012 (annual)

Quito soaks up free contemporary art, live music, multimedia projections and street theatre by cutting-edge local and international artists at outdoor and cultural spaces citywide. The yearly Ecuador Street Art Festival is unmissable. Look out for fantastical circus feats too.

QuitoFest
Aug 2012 (annual)

A good mix of independent Ecuadorian and international bands take to the stage at the annual and free QuitoFest in Parque Itchimbía. Expect diverse types of music, from hip-hop and punk to ska and hard rock.

Zero Latitude Film Festival
Oct 2012 (annual)

The Zero Latitude Film Festival - named from its equatorial location in Quito - concentrates on shorts, student-film, animation, videos and feature-length films from across the Spanish-speaking world. Thought-provoking independent art-house films are screened at cinemas in Ecuador's capital.

Ecuadorian Coat of Arms Day
Oct 2012 (annual)

Student marching bands, impressive baton twirlers and military bands take to the streets in Quito's Old Quarter on 31 October every year to celebrate the Ecuadorian Coat of Arms Day. Dancing and music make this a lively street party.

Quito Bullfighting Fair - Feria de Quito Jesús del Gran Poder
Nov - Dec 2012 (annual)

Top matadores (bullfighters) from Peru, Latin America and Spain compete in the annual Quito Bullfighting Fair in the Plaza de Toros bullring. The matador, picadors and other figures inside the bullring all wear elegant finery from the sport's golden age.

International Women In Dance Festival
Mar 2013 (annual)

Accomplished dancers and choreographers from around the globe display their skills at Quito's annual International Women in Dance Festival. Catch performances in the Casa de la Cultura's National Theatre, the Historic Centre's squares and other venues citywide.

Easter Week in Quito
Apr 2013 (annual)

One of the unmissable celebrations during Easter Week in Quito is on Good Friday. There is a spectacular procession through the old city that charts the events of Christ's Passion, complete with effigies of Christ and the Virgin Mary.

Ecuador Street Art Festival
Jul 2013 (annual)

Quito soaks up free contemporary art, live music, multimedia projections and street theatre by cutting-edge local and international artists at outdoor and cultural spaces citywide. The yearly Ecuador Street Art Festival is unmissable. Look out for fantastical circus feats too.

QuitoFest
Aug 2013 (annual)

A good mix of independent Ecuadorian and international bands take to the stage at the annual and free QuitoFest in Parque Itchimbía. Expect diverse types of music, from hip-hop and punk to ska and hard rock.

Zero Latitude Film Festival
Oct 2013 (annual)

The Zero Latitude Film Festival - named from its equatorial location in Quito - concentrates on shorts, student-film, animation, videos and feature-length films from across the Spanish-speaking world. Thought-provoking independent art-house films are screened at cinemas in Ecuador's capital.

Ecuadorian Coat of Arms Day
Oct 2013 (annual)

Student marching bands, impressive baton twirlers and military bands take to the streets in Quito's Old Quarter on 31 October every year to celebrate the Ecuadorian Coat of Arms Day. Dancing and music make this a lively street party.

Quito Bullfighting Fair - Feria de Quito Jesús del Gran Poder
Nov - Dec 2013 (annual)

Top matadores (bullfighters) from Peru, Latin America and Spain compete in the annual Quito Bullfighting Fair in the Plaza de Toros bullring. The matador, picadors and other figures inside the bullring all wear elegant finery from the sport's golden age.

International Women In Dance Festival
Mar 2014 (annual)

Accomplished dancers and choreographers from around the globe display their skills at Quito's annual International Women in Dance Festival. Catch performances in the Casa de la Cultura's National Theatre, the Historic Centre's squares and other venues citywide.

Easter Week in Quito
Apr 2014 (annual)

One of the unmissable celebrations during Easter Week in Quito is on Good Friday. There is a spectacular procession through the old city that charts the events of Christ's Passion, complete with effigies of Christ and the Virgin Mary.