La Carolina is Quito's largest urban park — a 64-hectare green space in the northern part of the city that serves as the lungs of the modern residential and commercial districts. On weekend mornings it fills with Quiteños running, cycling, playing football and volleyball, picnicking, flying kites, and rollerblading. There is a small lake where paddleboats can be hired, a botanical garden, a vivarium (for reptiles and amphibians), and children's play areas throughout.
The park also hosts the Natural History Museum and the botanical garden of the Pontificia Universidad Católica — both worth visiting if you are interested in Ecuador's extraordinary biodiversity. The park's northern edge meets Avenida Naciones Unidas, one of the main business arteries; the southern edge is near the INAQUITO market and shopping centres. Coming to La Carolina on a Sunday morning, when the surrounding roads are given over to cyclists and pedestrians, is one of the best ways to see Quiteños simply living their city.