Mitad del Mundo is one of Quito’s most visited tourist destinations in continental Ecuador. Some of you may wonder, is it worth visiting? Our answer is yes, it is worth visiting as the country takes its name from the Equator line, hence why the famous Equatorial Monument and the city of Mitad del Mundo are iconic sites in Ecuador. Is La Mitad del Mundo worth it visiting? On this note, here are some reasons why you should visit Mitad del Mundo.

Cover photo by: Instagram @mitaddelmundoec

What is Mitad del Mundo?

The city of Mitad del Mundo is a place where you can familiarise yourself with the importance of the Equator, from which the country takes its name. The Equator is a strip approximately one kilometer (approx 0.6 miles) wide that divides the surface of the planet into two parts: the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. This is also an imaginary line that is constantly changing due to the axis of rotation.

In 1736, the French Geodetic Mission first arrived with the aim to measure a quadrant of the meridian arc to check the shape of the earth. This very important mission was formed by French scientists (Godin, Bouguer and La Condamine), Spanish navigators and Pedro Vicente Maldonado (an Ecuadorian scientist). 200 years later, after the arrival of the first Geodesic Mission, in 1936, the first monument in honor of the members of the Geodesic Mission was erected in San Antonio de Pichincha, which was moved to the town of Calacalí, 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) west of the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, 2019.

In 1979, work began on the construction of the current monument, which is 30 meters high excluding the globe. This monument was built under the auspices of the Honorable Provincial Council of Pichincha. The globe, which weighs 5 tons and measures 4.5 m (14.9 feet) in diameter, was donated by the National Polytechnic School (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, 2019).

If you would like to know more information about Mitad del Mundo, we recommend that you read our article, 4 curious facts about Mitad del Mundo.

Why is it worth visiting Mitad del Mundo if you are in Ecuador?

• The city of Mitad del Mundo is a place that houses the famous Equatorial Monument, an icon of the city of Quito and of the country. Hence why tourists come to this destination to obtain information about the phenomena that occurs in the equatorial zone ( the Coriolis effect, balancing an egg on a nail, among others). The physical experiments you will see in Mitad del Mundo will surprise you. In Mitad del Mundo the latitude is 0° 0′ 0”, and there are very few places where you will find a curiosity such as this.

• When visiting Mitad del Mundo you have the opportunity to take a picture of yourself at the Equator and place your feet in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres at the same time, so you can get that much sought-after picture. It is also a perfect opportunity to get a romantic photograph. This is another feature of the Middle of the World that you cannot miss.

• The city of Mitad del Mundo holds 19 tourist attractions (planetarium, museums, squares, ancestral homes, among others). In fact, the first planetarium with virtual reality in the country is located in Mitad del Mundo. In addition, the Guayasamín Pavilion is located in the city of Mitad del Mundo, where you can enjoy an interesting sample of works by the famous Ecuadorian painter and sculptor, Oswaldo Guayasamín. Be sure to explore the diversity of tourist attractions on offer in Mitad del Mundo by clicking here: http://www.mitaddelmundo.com/es/atractivos-turisticos

• In Mitad del Mundo, there are also many craft and souvenir shops, restaurants and ice cream parlors. After visiting all the attractions, you will be able to enjoy the Ecuadorian gastronomy on offer in the numerous restaurants there, which we are sure will surprise you. In addition, you will be able to acquire typical Ecuadorian crafts. Ecuador is a country that holds very high international prestige thanks to the works of its craftsmen.

• Taking a walk through the city of Mitad del Mundo is an activity you can do in the company of family and friends, and now you can do it in the company of your pet, as since 2016, Mitad del Mundo is a pet friendly city. People and their pets can freely access all areas of the well-known tourist complex.

• If you visit Mitad del Mundo, we also recommend that you visit the Ecuadorian Agave Spirit, located in the Pomasqui sector, approximately 15 minutes from the city of Mitad del Mundo. The Ecuadorian Agave Spirit is a comprehensive project that has been working on the recovery of knowledge and the enhancement of one of the most ancient heritages of the equatorial inter-Andean valleys, the agave culture, and all its uses and derivatives. For more information about the Ecuadorian Agave Spirit, click here: http://agavespiritecuador.com/

• The city of Mitad del Mundo is open 365 days a year, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Another good reason to visit Mitad del Mundo is that on weekends there are cultural events that we recommend you attend.

How to get to Mitad del Mundo

If you are wondering how to get to Mitad del Mundo, we have prepared something that contains all the information that will allow you to get to know this destination. It is located in the parish of San Antonio de Pichincha in the Metropolitan District of Quito, north of the city of Quito. Click here: How to get to Mitad del Mundo. 

A good option to get to Mitad del Mundo is through the Mitad del Mundo Tour with Quito Tour Bus, since not only will you get to this tourist destination in the country in an easy way, but you will also get to know the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, where you can visit the viewpoint of one of the only two inhabited craters in the world. 

Afterwards, you will visit the city of Mitad del Mundo where you can carry out several experiments on the Equatorial Line and visit the Equatorial Museum, 30 meters high built in honor of the Geodesic Mission, the cultural pavilions and others. Finally, after visiting Mitad del Mundo you will visit the Ecuadorian Agave Spirit, also known as the Agave Museum, where there will be a tasting of an ancestral drink that is included in the tour.

The Mitad del Mundo Tour has daily departures, with no minimum number of passengers, from the Quinde Visitors Center (10h45), La Mariscal / Plaza Foch (11h25), Galería Ecuador (11h25) and Bulevar Naciones Unidas (11h50). This tour includes: tourist transportation, Bilingual Guide (English – Spanish), entrance to the Pululahua volcano crater lookout, entrance to the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo complex – Full Pass and entrance to the Ecuadorian Agave Spirit  (Agave Museum).

Entrance to the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve

If you are wondering what to do in Mitad del Mundo, we recommend reading 7 things you should do in Mitad del Mundo. In our article, we tell you about the best activities you can do the Ecuador’s capital’s tourist destination. 

Mitad del Mundo is a place worth visiting if you are in Ecuador, and we recommend you read our article on How to get to Mitad del Mundo? We also recommend that you arrive to this unmissable destination in the city of Quito through the Mitad del Mundo Tour by Quito Tour Bus, an easy and fun way to discover this part of the city, the Geobotanical Reserve Pululahua and the Ecuadorian Agave Spirit (Agave Museum).