The Cementerio de San Diego, adjacent to the colonial church and convent of the same name at the southern edge of the Historic Centre, is one of Quito's most interesting and overlooked sites. Founded in 1872, the cemetery is an eclectic mix of architectural styles — neoclassical mausoleums, Gothic chapels, modest family plots, and an area of white-walled niches that stretches up the hillside — and a Who's Who of Ecuadorian history.
Free guided tours (in Spanish, with some English available) are offered on weekend mornings and cover the stories of the notable figures buried here, the architecture of the mausoleums, and the folklore and superstitions associated with the cemetery. Even without a guide, wandering the terraced hillside cemetery with its views back over the Historic Centre is a pleasant and surprisingly peaceful experience. The adjacent San Diego church, with its unusual 17th-century cloister, is also worth visiting.