Description: Mitad del Mundo, or Middle of the World for those that don’t speak Spanish is one of Quito’s premiere attractions. Located approximately 20km north of the capital on the road to Otavalo and easily accessible for tourists and locals alike, you can understand why; not many people get to stand with one foot on each side of the world, the equator running straight through them. How could anyone turn down such a chance to impress their friends back home?
In reality, Mitad del Mundo and its focal point, a pyramidal 40ft. monument to the Equator doesn’t lie on the Equator at all. It lies a good 250 metres away, which was recently proven via GPS. I already knew this when visiting, but from watching the numerous tourists hop-scotching across the ‘Equator line’, they were oblivious to the fact.
With the news quickly spreading of its location ‘next’ to the Equator rather than on it, the monument is now nothing more than a show of appreciation to Charles Marie de La Condamine, who attempted to locate the Equator in the early 1700’s. If this news comes as a disappointment then at least there are numerous other attractions located within the same complex to keep you occupied and entertained. Alongside various ‘Disneyfied’ souvenir shops and restaurants, regular live music acts perform, making for a perfect lazy Sunday afternoon if the weather is good.
There is also the Museo Etnografico Mitad del Mundo, which details the ethnic make-up of Ecuador. Interesting as it is, virtually every other museum in the country has a similar display.
Other attractions include the astronomical museum, a miniature replica of Quito’s old town and a post office where you can get the famous Mitad del Mundo stamp mark on your postcards. Sadly, apart from the indigenous live music acts, nothing was able to hold my attention span for too long.
While I felt let down that this attraction doesn’t lie on the Equator at all, located next door is Museo Inti-Nan, which does lie on the Equator. With a range of equator related experiments Museo Inti-Nan should be the first port of call for anyone venturing towards Mitad del Mundo and who would like to stand on the real equator.
One positive of Mitad del Mundo is that it does host a few major festivals, the best of which fall around the March 21st and September 23rd equinoxes, when neither monument nor tourist casts a shadow.
Mitad del Mundo is open year round, from 9am. Closing time depends on the time of year, and what festivals are taking place. On a normal day though expect sunset (6pm) to be the normal closing time. Entrance costs $2. Numerous public buses travel here from Avenida Americas ($0.40). Buses heading towards Otavalo will also take you if not busy, although expect to pay slightly more. More information on Mitad del Mundo can be found at http://www.mitaddelmundo.com/.
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