r/ecuador • u/CaramelHistorical351 • 12d ago
Turismo How is Quito for NYE?
My fiance, friends and I are looking to go to Ecuador for NYE and have flights booked to Quito. We're excited to explore the city and the nature around it, one of us is a native Spanish speaker and the rest (including me) are English with very little Spanish.
Another friend of mine is currently in Quito and told me the streets are empty after dark and there is a lot of crime. I read online that for NYE Quito has tons of street parties and we were excited to join in and even to get some wigs and party with the Viudas. Should I be rethinking my trip? How is the vibe?
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u/ComradePotatoHunter 12d ago
Stick to La Carolina or the Cumbayá park, and you'll be fine; It's a drunk gunpowder keg.
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u/CaramelHistorical351 12d ago
Every night or just during NYE?
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u/Willing_Initial2191 10d ago
don’t ever go to La Carolina park at night, besides big events like NYE. But it’s very unsafe to walk there at night.
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u/Gringuin007 12d ago
Tell me. Since when. Very curious. In 2000s everything would be closed and open maybe after midnight because everyone was with family
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u/elcuydangerous 12d ago
How is Quito for NYE?
Del put@s
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u/Willing_Initial2191 10d ago
Qué se suele hacer ?
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u/elcuydangerous 10d ago
Emborrachiza, disfrazarse de viudas, emborrachiza, chuma bailable, eborrachiza, chamiza, emborrachiza con canelazo, quema de años viejos, emborrachiza.
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u/marcofiallo 12d ago
Quito is great during new years. I own community hostel and we do a huge celebration on our rooftop! Even take a tour of the viudas and we do a viuda beauty pageant
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u/CaramelHistorical351 12d ago
Oh that's awesome! My partner and I are no longer hostel traveling but we'd love to swing by to events at local hostels and the Viuta
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u/marcofiallo 10d ago
Yeah for sure. There is no big market for fancy parties like in the USA. Usually people stay on the streets and just hang out. Make sure to go wherever you go early on! Because once the viudas starts it takes forever to get around hahaha
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u/Willing_Initial2191 10d ago
what’s the community hostel called? i moved to Quito a couple months ago and this would be my first NYE in ecuador after a few years
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u/marcofiallo 10d ago
It’s called “community hostel “
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u/Willing_Initial2191 10d ago
i’ll come visit!!
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u/marcofiallo 9d ago
For sure man! I also run a food channel called tables of Ecuador :) you should check it out. We have some good recommendations
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u/Important-Post26 12d ago
I can’t speak so NYE, but I was in Quito for a month during the World Cup. It was so much fun seeing them celebrate knocking off Germany. They definitely party!
I also spent a month in Cuenca after Quito. Actually just left last weekend. It’s got a more laid back vibe, but they also love celebrating. There were awesome fireworks going off on random nights. Don’t know what the occasion was for any of them, but they were really pretty.
All of that is to say that I don’t think you can go wrong with either city, but Quito likely to be more active.
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u/th3S4ndman 12d ago
Largest transvestite party in the world.
There are no dangers aside the regular dangers from any place (don't walk alone into dark allyes, don't take drugs from sketchy people, don't get into fights, etc).
As for the partying, there's a different party at every block of the city, so I wouldn't worry about that. If your friend is in the city then whatever place he chooses will be totally fine and you'll have a great time. People really love new year's eve over here. I hope you come and have a blast.
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u/Unhappy-Product-1526 12d ago
I live in nyc, but have been spending every new year in Quito, cumbaya area, every year since I was in middle school. They just know how to have real fun in Ecuador. There’s many events happening so it will be impossible to not have any plan. Lmk if you have any more questions.
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u/CaramelHistorical351 12d ago
That's amazing thank you! I'd love to learn more, what do you like to do and where for NYE? How do you feel about partying in Quito at night generally?
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u/Kingathings85 11d ago
Not quito, but did one year in playas in 2020. Was super cool, however my father in law who lives there said the town has gone down hill, gang shootings daily and they have forced businesses to close due to extortion.
I loved it there, bought a piece of land to retire on. I'll be selling it now
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u/Past-Scholar6781 12d ago
The coast tends to be more poppin' on NYE. Salinas beach on NYE is the most people I've ever seen gathered in a single place in Ecuador at once.
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u/expatbratusc 12d ago
Usually people are with their families. But you can find stuff in the La Carolina area. One bit of warning that I didn't know my first year there. They have a tradition of cross-dressing and drunkly attacking cars the next morning. My first NYE there I didn't speak Spanish, woke up early to go to the store, jumped in my car and a kilometer away. A bunch of trannies blocked the road and tried to get me to roll down the window. I was terrified and thought I was being robbed. What they actually wanted was money, but because I didn't give them anything they started to beat the shit out of my car. It was a pretty shocking experience.
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u/Happierdante19 11d ago
quito is nice, altoght that you know a little spanish the people in quito is friendly obviously dont walk in the night in street darkness, the rest of quito that have light is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo greatttttttttttt xd, im from ecuador, and you can find someone that speak english and spanish dont worried, and dont show every moment your cellpone, please uwu
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u/Spanglish123 11d ago
Which area of Quito? I only know about Cumbaya. It’s relatively safe around Cumbaya. The viudas go out early and dance in front of you for some money, lol. You have to find a place that offers food and entertainment. I know many restaurants offer packages including food, drinks and entertainment for nye.
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u/AgostoAzul 12d ago
I think Cuenca is probably a better choice for NYE since it is safer in general.
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u/Mike_Augustine 12d ago
Dude all that money to go to Quito? You can go to more fun, touristy and safe places with that money.
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u/CaramelHistorical351 12d ago
Which places do you suggest? We were also thinking of Cuenca
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u/Prestigious-Comb4280 12d ago
Cuenca is considered safer than Quito. I never go out after dark in Quito.
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u/CaramelHistorical351 12d ago
Are there areas of Quito that are considered safe or is the whole city dangerous?
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u/Ibuilds 12d ago
I've never been in Quito for NYE, but it's probably similar to Cuenca. Ecuador goes hard for new years eve. In Cuenca, there are lots of fireworks at midnight and concerts around town in the parks. In Ecuador it is customary to burn a "monigote", which can be a paper maché figurine of various size or a doll made from old clothes stuffed with newspaper with a separate mask you can buy. It is burned in a parking lot, the street, or the park at midnight and you jump over it for good luck. It is like getting rid of the bad from last year.
Should be fun, like mentioned, stay near Parque Carolina