Quito, capital of Ecuador, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, this city was founded in 1534 by the Spaniard Sebastián de Benalcazar. There are several theories regarding the origin of its name, the most accepted relates that it comes from the languages tsa'fiki and cha'fiki: "qui" (de quitsa) means means half, and "to" or "tu” means land. Thus, the word “Quito,” or “Quitu,” is translated as: "Earth in the middle of the World".