A lot of people talk about visiting the North and South Poles, but have you ever thought about visiting the middle of the world? Well, if you’re planning a trip to Ecuador, you’re in the perfect place! Quito, Ecuador, is located right on the equatorial line, and you can visit a monument in a small city dedicated to the Mitad del Mundo.
If this sounds like the kind of fun experience you want to add to your brag list, here’s what you need to know!
History of the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo
Back in 1736, a group of French scientists and Spanish naval officers set out to find the equatorial line that marked the middle of the world. The man in charge of the expedition actually spent 10 years here mapping out the equator and proving that Earth actually bulges a little bit along this line. Not bad for 1700s tech!
In 1936, the Ecuadorian government built a small monument to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the expedition. But this was replaced by the current 30-meter-tall monument in 1979. A small “city” popped up all around this Middle of the World Monument, with cafes, shops, and museums and a yellow line marking the equator through the city. This became know as Ciudad Mitad del Mundo.
However, when modern GPS came around, it showed that the true equatorial line was actually 240 meters north of the monument! Whoops. Park officials claim that this was because the land at the actual spot wasn’t a good fit for such a big monument, but it’s very possible that the 1700s instruments were just off by a bit.
That hasn’t stopped thousands of visitors from coming to this site every year to see the monument and take an iconic photo with either foot on the yellow line. Visitors can also climb to the top of the monument to get a sweeping view of the “city.”
You can actually visit the exact equatorial line if you like, although the monument marking the spot is far less grandiose than the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. Another popular alternative is the Intiñan Solar Museum, which is built right on the 0 latitude line.
The City at the Middle of the World
While visiting the Middle of the World is a fun enough stop in itself, the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo has a lot of fun stuff to experience during your visit! If you’re coming all this way, don’t just stop to take a picture of the monument; carve out some extra time to explore the city and visit all its other attractions!
Here are some quick facts to know before you go:
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9 am to 6 pm
- Open 365 days per year
- Cultural events every weekend
- Cost: $5 per adult; $2.50 for children and seniors
- Address: Av. Manuel Córdova Galarza SN, Quito, Ecuador
- Bring water, warm layers, sunscreen, and a hat (Remember, the sun is intense on the equator, even if it’s cool outside!)
Museums at the Middle of the World
The Middle of the World has some great activities, including a variety of museums you can check out. If I remember correctly, some of these require a small fee in addition to the initial entrance fee, but they’re pretty minimal.
Some of the most popular ones include:
- Beer museum: This craft beer museum shows the history of beer in Ecuador, starting in the Quitu-Cara period, and includes a small production area.
- Cocoa museum: Also known as the “cocoa square,” you can visit here to learn about Ecuadorian cocoa and get some authentic chocolate to take home!
- Ethnographic museum: This ten-floor museum inside the actual monument will take you on a cultural journey through Ecuador, with a focus on the many different climates, tribes, and provinces.
The Central Plaza at the Middle of the World
My favorite part of this trip was exploring the central plaza. It’s full of cool shops that are great for some souvenirs. There’s even one that will stamp your passport with a special “middle of the world” stamp!
I really enjoyed browsing all these shops because there was such a great variety. Several of them are more artisanal in nature, so you’ll find paintings, blown glass, unique jewelry, chocolate, alpaca wool clothing, etc! You can definitely spend a couple of hours just browsing.
There are also some great restaurants in this area featuring traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. We had lunch at Balcon al Mundo, which was not only delicious but super-affordable! We did end up buying the most expensive thing on the menu, but we figured we had to try cuy–traditional roasted guinea pig! Daniel liked it more than I did, but I know part of that was how “whole” the guinea pig came out, lol.
If you’re interested in experimenting with some fun gravity effects, you can try to balance an egg on a nailhead (Daniel did it, I could not, haha), balance on one foot on the equatorial line, and try to walk straight with your eyes closed. The gravity really messes with you since you weigh less here!
I also recommend a stop by the Iglesia Mitad del Mundo. This church is divided in half by the “equatorial line,” and you can climb up to its bell tower to ring the bell and have a nice view of the plaza.
The Planetarium at the Middle of the World
If you fancy a glimpse of the stars even during the day, buy a ticket to the on-site Planetarium! They have space travel simulations as well as detailed images of constellations and planets.
Closing Thoughts on Visiting Mitad del Mundo
To be honest, we didn’t have nearly enough time to explore this area. I had no idea how big it was until we ventured further in and saw building after building! Because we were with our tour group, we had to limit our visit to about 2 hours (including lunch). If you really want to explore, I’d set aside 3 hours minimum in addition to any meals.
Overall, we had a great time just shopping and checking out the monument, as well as trying the traditional cuy. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Quito!
Thanks for stopping by the blog today, and I hope this post was helpful! If you are interested in more Ecuador content, I’ve got quite a bit from all four regions! You can check those posts out below or by searching “Ecuador” in the search bar.
More from Ecuador
- 11 Essential Things to Know Before You Visit Ecuador
- I Booked an Ecuador Trip with Exoticca–Here’s What Happened
- How to Explore Guayaquil, Ecuador Safely: 11 Activities
- Quito, Ecuador – 9 of the Best FREE & Cheap Things to See and Do!
- A Complete Guide to Packing for Ecuador: All 4 Regions!
- Quilotoa Crater–Ecuador’s Famous and Beautiful Volcanic Lake!
- How to Visit the Galapagos Islands: Everything you need to know
- The Ultimate Day On San Cristobal In The Galapagos Islands
- Why I Didn’t Want to Visit Guayaquil & What Changed My Mind
- A Unique All-Day Adventure at Suchipakari Amazon Lodge
- Suchipakari Amazon Eco Lodge: The Good, Bad, And Ugly
- Dive Into the Galapagos with a 360 Snorkeling Tour!
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