独立广场（大广场）

A pretty square to lounge about it, and a nice café on one side to drink teas made with real leaves. Less good is being asked often to have one's shoes polished which can be a bore after a while.

A great square in the midst of government and church authority where Ecuadorans gather to relax, to protest, to play games, and sing. We enjoyed our many encounters with the people of Quito and Ecuador. Its a great place to relax between visits to the many historic sites within walking distance of the plaza. There are a number of good eateries in the vicinity as well.

This central square in the old colonial city is a must see. It definitely is flanked by all the symbols of power... the Presidential Palace, which is the seat of power for Ecuador, beautiful and colourful colonial buildings that are identified as the Archbishop's Palace /Hotel (flags decorate the sides for the length of it), the Cathedral of Quito and the Municipal Building. Quito's municipal building definitely pales in comparison to the other three in terms of architectural design.In the centre of the square is a huge manicured park with flowers, shrubs, trees and sculptures, the centre one of Ecuador's heroes being the most prominent. This central statue has a lion at its feet. Apparently it was designed with an arrow in the lion, but someone pulled it out, seeing it as animal cruelty. You can still see the grommet where it used to be.The park is always busy, but I did not see, on either visit during two days, the music and entertainment others have talked about, However, there were a lot of people trying to sell you coca tea (in loud annoying voices), scarfs and shoe shines. The buildings in the area used be occupied by the Franciscan order, including nuns, and the buildings on either side of the Presidential Palace have signs on them to show that, though their use has been long converted.

We enjoyed several visits to this fun, music-filled plaza near the President's Palace. Good restaurants nearby.

The view from the Mayor's office was lovely. You get the "life and energy of the people of Ecuador" there.

This is a great plaza. You can see many of the important sites of Old Town in this plaza. We spend time sitting and watching people coming and going.

A really typical South American square. Absolutely beautiful. As it was getting near Christmas there were performers and bands playing….it was a Sunday…it felt lovely. An absolute must visit. We only had two days in Quito…wish we had been there longer but it was a visit on way back from Galapigos…..another MUST. A wonderful part of the world.

While visiting old town, the Plaza Grande is a must. Bring your camera. The area is know for pick-pocket activity so know who's around you! It's not dangerous, but if not careful you could lose your purse or wallet.

A good place to pass through and mingle with locals and tourists. There are some cafes at the corner with desserts, local sweets and coffee. Across the street the tourist center office is available for any questions, maps, souvenirs and clean bathrooms! a good stopover but not a lot to do except hang out and enjoy local sights and sounds.

This Plaza Grande is almost as beautiful as the others I have seen in South America and Madri. I felt save in this place. It's very clean. You can seat and watch people coming and going. Interesting!

Bordered by the Presidential Palace, and the Cathedral, this square is certainly worth a stroll. Maybe you will see the presidential motorcade! A peaceful place to relax for a few minutes, but do not wear leather shoes, or you will be pestered by the shoeshine boys!

The plaza is lovely, but look out for pick-pocketers, especially the little children, they will gang up on you. Aside from that, it's a lovely spot to buy a juice from a vendor and have a sit in the shade.

A lot of things go on here from protests to cultural activities, depending on when you are there. There are some great shops in very interesting dungeon like alcoves. Would have liked to have a beer and snack in a patio as it seems the perfect place but there was very little choice. One of the alcoves shops had nice food and drinks but was not reliably open and the alternatives seemed to be an expensive hotel but everyone was great and the plaza felt safe. Even the stray dogs were nice - especially a couple who were obviously bonded.

Every Monday at 1100, there is more pomp and circumstance than at Buckingham Palace. The President of Ecuador even comes out to watch the ceremony.

A pleasant open square, with a few cafes, but nothing on the scale of similar squares in other South American / Spanish cities. Definitely worth visiting whilst in Quito, but don't expect to spend hours here. In terms of safety, like many of the key attractions in Quito, there was a very visible Police presence, which probably kept some of hawkers at bay. Be mindful of the unofficial shoe shine boys, who were working as a bit of a pack and who gave the impression of using shoe shining as a sideline to their main activity. We sat at a cafe and watched a couple of them edge closer and closer to a tourists camera bag, despite being repeatedly shooed away by the cafe owner.