By evening the cold comes down off the heights around Latacunga, and the streets of the centre fill with people eating chugchucaras, empanadas, plantains, popcorn and tostado, often with ají on the side. The city sits on a cold, windy plateau, so an evening out tends to be wrapped up warm and built around food, a few drinks and the main square rather than a long crawl between venues.
Nightlife here is modest and local in character. It suits travellers who are in town for Cotopaxi, Quilotoa or the Ilinizas and want a low-key evening in a provincial Andean city, rather than anyone looking for a large club scene. The sources describe the historic downtown, the streets where tour agencies cluster, and two annual festivals as the main things that shape an evening or a night out.
Where to go out in Latacunga
1. The historic downtown
The historic downtown extends over roughly thirty squares and is the natural focus of an evening in the centre. Its landmarks include Saint Francis's church, the first church built in the city, and the municipal palace, built in pumice stone in a neoclassical style. An evening here is a walk between lit squares and church facades rather than a route between bars.
It suits anyone who wants to eat and then stroll. Because the city is cold and windy, plan on a warm layer for the walk between stops.
2. The Main Square
The Main Square is the reference point of the centre, with a statue of Dr. Vicente León standing in it. It is the kind of place an evening starts or ends, with the streets around it busy with people eating and drinking.
It suits a short, unhurried night: food, a drink, and the square itself as the meeting point. Treat it as an orientation point for the centre rather than a destination in its own right.
3. Guayaquil street
Guayaquil street is where most of the agencies that organise guided climbs are found, along with tours to Chimborazo and Quilotoa. In the evening this is a street of planning rather than partying, and it is where you would sort out a climb for the following day.
It suits anyone whose night out is really the eve of an expedition. Note that expeditions organised from Latacunga are cheaper than the equivalent organised from Quito, so it is worth arranging things here if you are heading for the mountains.
4. Food stalls and local eating places
The city's most noted food is chugchucaras, empanadas, plantains, popcorn and tostado, and ají is served with it in preparations that range from mild to very spicy. This is the backbone of an evening out in Latacunga: eating the local dishes rather than drinking in a bar scene.
It suits anyone who wants a filling, inexpensive evening, and it is the most reliable way to spend a night here if you do not know the city.
5. The festival route during Mama Negra
Twice a year the Mama Negra festival takes over the streets with a lengthy parade of costumed cultural characters, ending with the mama negra herself: a person with their face painted black, riding a horse and spraying the crowd with milk. Homemade strong alcoholic drinks are passed freely between people along the parade route.
It suits anyone who wants the loudest night the city offers, and it is the one occasion when the streets themselves are the venue. Be aware that the route can become chaotic, with roads closed at times and the route impassable, so do not plan to move quickly or drive through it.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not give times for eating, going out or closing. What they do show is that the evening centres on food and on the Main Square and historic downtown, and that on Mama Negra parade days the streets can be closed and impassable, so the night runs to the rhythm of the parade rather than to any fixed schedule.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- La Fiesta de la Mama Negra – held twice a year. The first is organised in September by the people of the markets La Merced y Del Salto in honour of the Virgin of Mercy, who is venerated for allegedly stopping the Cotopaxi eruption in 1742 and is called Abogada y patrona del volcán.
- The second Mama Negra celebration – held every year on Ecuador's Independence Day, with a parade involving well-known people, the army, the clergy and others.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a big club scene in Latacunga?
The sources describe the historic downtown, the Main Square, the food the city is known for and the festival parades, not a club district. An evening here is more likely to be food, a few drinks and a walk in the centre.
What should I eat on a night out?
Chugchucaras, empanadas, plantains, popcorn and tostado are the city's most noted foods, and ají is commonly served with them, ranging from mild to very spicy depending on how it is prepared.
Where do I arrange a climb or a tour for the next day?
Most of the agencies that organise guided climbs are on Guayaquil street, and they also offer tours to Chimborazo and Quilotoa. Prices for expeditions are cheaper than those organised from Quito.
What is the Mama Negra festival like at night?
It is a lengthy parade of costumed characters, ending with the mama negra on horseback spraying the crowd with milk, with homemade strong alcoholic drinks passed freely along the route. The route can be chaotic and roads are closed at times, so expect to be on foot and to stay put once you are in the crowd.
Decide whether your evening is a meal and a walk in the historic downtown or a night on the Mama Negra parade route, and plan around the cold and the closed streets accordingly.