Tours of the two-story convent include two cloisters with a museum featuring the private collection of religious art in the care of the Carmelites for several centuries. Elsewhere within the building, you can get a sense of the daily life of this religious community and how Saint Mariana de Jesús lived in the 17th century. After the tour, spend some time in the sun-filled courtyard. Skip the line with a Top Attractions Pass, which includes a tour of a number of the city's top sites including Mitad del Mundo, Capilla del Hombre, Museo de la Ciudad. Transportation and bike rentals are included.
Carmen Alto Convent (Monasterio de Carmen) is located on the corner of García Moreno and Rocafuerte in the historic center of Quito, within easy walking distance from most attractions in the old town. Take most bus lines to the Vicente Rocafuerte y Cuenca stop. From here, walk about two minutes.
Carmen Alto Convent is open from Wednesday to Sunday from the morning until the evening. Peak season in Quito runs from June to September, coinciding with the Ecuadorian dry season. Throughout the year, the high-altitude climate is consistently spring-like, with temperate days andxa0 chilly nights. To experience the city in festival mode, visit from February to April for Carnival and the religious holiday, Semana Santa.
Carmen Alto Convent includes the former living quarters of Mariana de Jesus, a religious woman who lived in Quito at the beginning of the 17th-century and became the first officially beatified saint of Ecuador. Several rooms recreate the living conditions of the Carmelite sisters who joined Mariana. After she died, as the story and apparently city records show, lillies grew from the cross on which she crucified herself.