Quick answer: El Panecillo is the hill at the south edge of Quito’s Old Town, about 3,000 m high, topped by the aluminum Virgin of Quito (about 41 m with its base). Go up by taxi or ride-hailing app, around $3–5 from the Old Town, rather than walking. The hilltop is free; entering the monument costs about $1–2.
Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: we added how to get up safely, entry fee to the monument interior, opening hours, and corrected some figures about the statue.
| Visiting El Panecillo (2026) | |
|---|---|
| Where | Southern edge of the historic center, above La Ronda and the San Sebastián neighborhood |
| How to get up | Taxi or ride-hailing app from the Old Town (about 10 min, around $3–5 each way), or the hop-on hop-off city tour bus |
| Entry | Hilltop viewpoint free; interior of the monument and its viewing balcony about $1–2 |
| Opening hours | Monument usually 9:00–17:00 or 18:00; confirm on site, hours shift on weekends and holidays |
| Time needed | 30–60 minutes |
| Safety | Do not walk up the stairs and streets from the Old Town; go by car, in daylight |
| Best for | The best overview of the Old Town, views of Cotopaxi on clear mornings |
Local tip: Ask your taxi driver to wait 30 to 45 minutes and bring you back down, and agree the total price before you set off. Getting a ride back from the top is harder than getting one up.
The Virgin of Quito
2026 note: The stone monolith at the viewpoint is part of local belief and folklore; the idea that it is an energy point aimed at the center of the planet is not something scientists have documented. Inside the base of the Virgin there is a small exhibit on how the statue was assembled, and stairs lead to a balcony with views over the Old Town, for a fee of about $1–2.
Climbing the Panecillo and admiring the extension of Quito from the heights is an experience that you must live in your passage through the city of the Half of the World. The Panecillo is a hill that divides the city between north and south and whose top is the representation of the only winged virgin, also known as the Virgin of Quito. It is a giant structure composed of 7 thousand pieces of aluminum, replica of the sculpture of the Quito artist Bernardo de Legarda.
We recommend you to reach the top of the hill of El Panecillo by taxi or the tourist bus. From there you can admire the trace of this millennial city that has not altered its original morphology in more than four centuries. This was one of the reasons why UNESCO declared it the First Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The monument of the Virgin will allow you to admire in detail elements such as the serpent, the world, the crown and the wings of this religious image. See details of the Virgin proves that visiting Quito is a unique experience!
From here you have a privileged view of the whole city. There is a small viewpoint to the south side, from which you can see several of the peaks and volcanoes of our mountain range from El Panecillo. You can enjoy Quito and all its glory from these heights.
Another attraction that makes visiting Quito, is located in the same viewpoint. It is a stone monolith that according to research, is a point of energy that points directly to the center of the planet. Try to touch it to connect with Mother Earth and renew your energies!
There is a museum within the structure of the Virgin that is worth visiting, to learn how they brought from France their pieces and the structure of the image and how they were armed. From the beauty of the details of the Virgin to the stone monolith, it is evident that it is a cultural benefit to visit El Panecillo. Quito will soon become one of your favorite cities.
The Panecillo Virgin
Fact check: Figures vary by source. The statue is usually given as about 41 m including its base (some sources say 45 m), and it is built from around 7,000 to 7,400 numbered aluminum pieces. It was designed by the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras and completed on March 28, 1975. The model is the winged Virgin carved by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, still on the main altar of the Church of San Francisco.
The Spanish artist Agustín de la Herran Matorras began the construction of the monument of the Virgin of Quito on November 4, 1955. This was inaugurated on March 28, 1975. The sculpture of the virgin is 45 meters high and is a copy to Large scale sculpture of the Virgin of Quito, made in the eighteenth century by the Quito sculptor Bernardo de Legarda.
The original sculpture has a height of 30 centimeters and can be admired in the main altar of the Church of San Francisco. The work is composed of about 7 000 pieces and is considered as the largest representation of aluminum in the world.
History of the Panecillo
2026 note: Before the statue, the hill had a Spanish fortress built between 1812 and 1815, during the independence wars, to control the city below. The name Yavirac is linked to a pre-Hispanic sun-worship site on the summit.
This small elevation located in the Historical Center of Quito received the name of the Panecillo by the Spaniards, at the beginning of century XVI. In the pre-Inca period it was called Yavirac, which referred to a water point or reservoir of water; Later, the Incas called it Shungoloma or Loma del Corazón. Ancient cultures used El Panecillo as a ritual space. During the Feast of the Sun or Inti Raymi, the Vestals or Virgins of the Sun danced as an offering to their god. According to a legend, in pre-Inca times, members of the culture Caras built a temple there in honor of the sun and one in honor of the moon, in San Juan.
Located at 3 035 meters above sea level (just 200 meters above the average altitude of Quito), El Panecillo marks the division between the center and the south of the city, and constitutes an observatory of the urban territory of Quito.
Would you like to explore Quito? Join our free walking tour..
Is El Panecillo safe, and how do you go up?
The hilltop itself, around the statue and the viewpoint, is busy with visitors and police during the day and is fine to visit. The problem is the way up on foot: the long stairway and streets that climb from the Old Town through the San Sebastián neighborhood have a record of robberies, and we tell our guests not to walk them, alone or in groups.
Take a taxi or a ride-hailing app from Plaza Grande, San Francisco or La Ronda. The ride is about 10 minutes and usually costs $3–5 each way. The hop-on hop-off city tour bus also stops at the top. Go in the morning: clouds often cover the volcanoes by early afternoon. At night the statue is lit up and the view of the Old Town lights is lovely, but go only by car and do not wander away from the main viewpoint.
From the top you can pick out the plazas, domes and bell towers you will walk through below, which makes El Panecillo a good first stop before exploring the Old Town on foot.
Free Walking Tour Quito · Free (tip-based) · 3 hours · Mon–Sat 10:30 & 14:30, Sun 10:30
See the Old Town up close with our Ecuadorian guides: plazas, colonial churches (including San Francisco, home of Legarda’s original winged Virgin), a local market and a chocolate tasting. Meet 10 minutes early at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo.
Related guides
- One perfect day in Quito’s Old Town
- Things to do in Quito
- Is Ecuador safe to travel in 2026?
- Where to stay in Quito: neighborhoods compared
- A short history of Quito
Plan it with us
Questions about getting around Quito? Drop by our office at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo, on the edge of the Old Town, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, or write to info@communitytravel.ec. Our local guides answer every day and can help you plan the rest of your Ecuador trip.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to walk up El Panecillo?
We do not recommend it. The stairs and streets that climb from the Old Town through the San Sebastián area have a history of robberies of tourists. Take a taxi or ride-hailing app instead: the ride takes about 10 minutes and costs around $3 to $5 each way. The top itself is busy and fine to visit in daylight.
How much does it cost to visit El Panecillo?
Reaching the hilltop viewpoint is free. Entering the base of the Virgin, with its small exhibit and the balcony at her feet, costs about $1 to $2 per adult as of 2026. Budget another $6 to $10 for a round-trip taxi from the Old Town, depending on how long the driver waits.
What are El Panecillo’s opening hours?
The hilltop is accessible during the day, and the monument interior usually opens around 9:00 and closes between 17:00 and 18:00, with longer hours on some weekends. Hours change, so confirm on site. The best time is the morning, when the sky is clearer and you may see Cotopaxi to the south.
How tall is the Virgin of El Panecillo?
The statue is usually given as about 41 meters including its base, although some sources say 45 meters. It is made of roughly 7,000 to 7,400 aluminum pieces, was designed by Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras, and was completed in 1975. It copies a 1734 carving by Bernardo de Legarda in the Church of San Francisco.
Why does the Virgin of Quito have wings?
She represents the Woman of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation: winged, standing on a globe, and crushing a serpent. Bernardo de Legarda carved this version in 1734, and it became one of the best-known works of the Quito School of colonial art. The original stands on the main altar of the Church of San Francisco.
