Calle García Moreno is the main north-south artery of Quito's Historic Centre, running between the Plaza Grande and the southern edge of the colonial city. The street is lined with some of the finest colonial architecture in Quito — the Jesuit complex of La Compañía, the Archbishopric, the convents of Santa Catalina and Santa Clara, the rear wall of the San Francisco complex — and its unbroken run of colonial facades makes it the single most concentrated stretch of historic architecture in Ecuador.
Walking its length from the Plaza Grande south to the San Diego cemetery takes about thirty minutes and passes seven stone crosses that have been placed at historically significant points. The street is largely pedestrianised and busy with street vendors, school groups, and pilgrims. On Sundays it is closed to traffic entirely, and the experience of walking it then, with the sound of bells from every direction, is something you do not forget.