La Ronda Street

La Ronda Street runs through the southern part of Old Town Quito with stone-paved paths and colonial houses featuring wooden balconies decorated with flowers. The buildings keep their original character from earlier centuries and shape the street with their close arrangement and detailed facades.

The street began as an Indigenous path along Ullaguanga creek before Spanish colonizers reshaped it into a residential zone during the 16th century. Later it grew into a commercial center where crafts and trade shaped local prosperity.

Artisans work in restored colonial houses and sell metalwork, woodcarvings, and woven textiles directly to visitors who walk through. The street has become a place where traditional craft skills are kept alive and people express their local identity through creative work.

Walking is the best way to experience the street, as it is narrow and can fill with visitors during daytime hours. Accessibility may be challenging due to the stone surfaces and steps at some buildings.

The Casa de las Artes museum on this street displays contemporary artwork by local artists and exhibits about daily life from earlier times without charging entry fees. Free access lets visitors explore artistic creation and how people lived in different periods.