Activities in Quito
With 15 million people pacing about megadiverse Ecuador – dancing, singing, eating, and generally loving la vida – you can imagine the activities in Ecuador we’ve got lined up for you! At our Spanish school in Ecuador we believe the best way to learn is through hands-on practice. How? Read on!
Weekday Activities
At Ailola Quito we’re not the kind of locals who take our world heritage-listed surroundings for granted! That’s why after Spanish school in Ecuador we’ll take you on free activities that include jazz and classic musical concerts, art exhibitions, folk dancing, and more. We also offer afterschool add-on classes to compliment what you learn in your Spanish course.
Free Afterschool Activities
We offer free afterschool activities led by one or more of our teachers. Fun, friendly, and forever-expanding, we guarantee you’ll see your Spanish school social life blossom while simultaneously improving your Spanish and learning a whole lot more about our enchanting Ecuador!
For students at our Spanish school in Quito, excursions include:
- Thursday cooking classes – Enjoy local cuisine with our weekly cooking party together with a professional chef in Quito, held Thursday lunch time each week. We charge a small fee of 3 Dollars to cover our costs.
- TelefériQo de Quito – One of our Wednesday outings, Quito’s TelefériQo is South America’s highest gondola. We’ll reach Cruz Loma at 13,000 feet, to see Quito below us in all its glory.
- Vivarium – Experience the slithery side of Ecuador’s ecosystems, with a trip to the vivarium. Another of our Wednesday excursion options, it's your chance to meet our country’s lovely local reptiles.
- Visit to local social development project – We’ll visit one of our longest, most valued volunteering partners during one of our Wednesday outings, to learn more about their progress as a social development organization in Ecuador.
- And that’s not all – Other Wednesday activities after Spanish school in Quito include visits to La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, the Guaysamin Museum, la Mitad del Mundo, el Panecillo, and the La Basílica de Quito.
For students at our Spanish school in Otavalo, excursions include:
- Thursday cooking classes – Ecuador is renowned for its traditional cuisine, which incorporates a range of native vegetable species. Come cook with us each Thursday afternoon in Otavalo!
- Visit Laguna Cuicocha – A lake that sits atop Cotacachi Volcano, this excursion sees us venture out by boat to two small islands on the lake.
- Hike to Cascada de Peguche and beyond – Beginning at the majestic waterfall near Otavalo, we’ll move onto Lago de San Pablo with its stunning mountain vistas and proximity to the indigenous village of San Pablo.
For students studying at one of our other fine locations, check out the individual locations pages!
Note: For these activities there is no charge for students aside from entrance fees or optional donations.
Afterschool Classes
Why would you learn Spanish in South America? The answer: immersion, immersion, immersion. Our open, friendly, social continent is a brilliant destination to learn Spanish and put it straight into practice. At Ailola Quito we offer a range of add-on classes at extra cost to send your Spanish skills skyrocketing. These include:
Weekend Excursions
With just 110 thousand squared miles of territory, it would be crazy for us to not make the most of Ecuador! With its great highways and transport opportunities, we take our Spanish school in Ecuador farther with weekend excursions right across the country. Read on to learn more!
Day Trips
Whether you’re studying at our school in Quito or in Otavalo, the weekend day trips we offer are accessible, affordable and a whole lot of fun. They include:
- Trip to the Indigenous Market of Otavalo – While Otavalo students are within walking distance of it, those of us studying in Quito will have the chance to experience Otavalo on a Saturday day-trip. We’ll discover the unique indigenous craft market that has made Otavalo so famous, plus much more!
- Mountain biking in Cotopaxi National Park – At almost 20,000 feet, the world’s highest snow-capped volcano is hard to describe in words! That’s why we want you to see it for yourself, with a Saturday mountain bike excursion through the nearby national park of the same name.
- Bike riding through Quito – Each Sunday in our captivating capital city, several major roads are closed off for exclusive bicycle use. Hire yours and ride with us today!
Note: These activities are optional and come with a fee. For bike riding in Quito, however, all you’ll have to pay is the cost of hiring your city bicycle.
Full Weekend Trips
Your classmates and new local friends will have the all-nighters covered, and we’ve got the all-afternooners covered with our Wednesday activity schedule and Thursday cooking parties. What about all-weekenders? Departing Friday evening and returning Sunday, we can set you up with weekend-long trips to an incredible array of sites. These include:
- Mini cloud forest – Two hours from Quito in the picturesque region of Mindo, a mini cloud forest awaits you. It’s here you can spot birds and native animals, swim in waterfalls, visit a butterfly farm, zip-line and hike, and, in more broader terms, discover Ecuador’s biodiversity in all its glory.
- Chugchilan and the Quilotóa Loop – Discover eco-tourism at its finest with a hike around the Quilotóa Lagoon near the Andean town of Chugchilan. We don’t want to spoil things for you – but let’s just say you might never see a place as beautiful as the Quilotóa Lagoon!
- Amazon jungle eco-lodge trip – What’s there to do in the jungle? Well, everything – from exotic animal spotting, canoe trips, visits to indigenous communities, tubing, swimming at the base of spiritual waterfalls. The list goes on!
- Visit Otavalo. Again with Otavalo, you ask? – We love this place, and you’re bound to as well, with a full weekend in Ecuador’s premiere indigenous town. Visit its markets and nearby natural beauty to discover why Otavalo is everything we say it is!
Note: These activities are optional and come with a fee. Contact us to learn more!
(10/02/2020) 
