FOTO FRIDAY: Mitad del Mundo

Mitad del Mundo - Quito, Ecuador
Don't be fooled by the big fake Mitad del Mundo just minutes away from the real deal.

Welcome to the middle of the world! The Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) outside Quito, Ecuador is one of those landmarks you have to check off the list while traveling through Quito.

This Equatorial Monument (in Spanish called La Mitad del Mundo) above is a representation of the imaginary Equatorial line that is is said to have been built exactly on the latitude line 00 00′ 00.”

It takes about 40 minutes by bus to get to the Cuidad Mitad del Mundo and once there, you are engulfed with all the greatness of being at the Spanish-style tourist compound in the middle of the world. There are tons of tourist shops and even a planetarium to enjoy! Wahoooo! 

However, there is a bit of skepticism with the grand 0 latitude monument.  Just 400 meters away from this world famous Equatorial Monument is a museum called “Inty-Nan” where your GPS and gravitational experiments (between northern and southern hemisphere) clearly indicate the true latitude line.

There you will be assigned a tour guide who takes you around the funky museum and tells you about the indigenous tribes of Ecuador and puts you through the tests of how balanced you are along the equator.

The Cuidad Mitad del Mundo was cool and so was the Museum down the road. No place I’d ever go again but, I did it, I was at the equator in Ecuador, check. 

Here are some more photos…

Mitad del Mundo - Quito, Ecuador
Sword shopping at Cuidad Mitad del Mundo in Quito, Ecuador
The Real Equator - Mitad del Mundo - Quito, Ecuador
The Entrance to the real equator at Mitad del Mundo north of Quito
The egg test at the Equator Museum at Mitad del Mundo - Ecuador
I failed the egg test at the Equator Museum. Not Happy.
Equator Museum at Mitad del Mundo north of Quito, Ecuador
My favorite part of the Equator Tour - How to make a shrunken head.
Equator Museum at Mitad del Mundo north of Quito, Ecuador
A real shrunken head and a sloth shrunken head. Weird.
Equator Museum at Mitad del Mundo north of Quito, Ecuador
The Money Shot.

I leave you with the best line of the day from our tour guide who left us with these wise words of advice…

“Please enjoy Ecuador everyone, but remember, do not pee in the water.”

My name is Gareth Leonard, a Marketing Director turned World Traveler with a passion for slow, meaningful travel. I have been traveling the world full-time for the past 9+ years and document it all on Instagram and YouTube. Come join me!

5 Comments

    1. Which one is the “new” Mitad del Mundo? The real one right? If so, I agree there is a lot more information about Ecuador and stuff to do at the real site.

  1. Hi! I’m ecuadorian and i’ve never been there yet 🙁 neither have eaten guinea pig, but i don’t feel bad about it jeje!! hope you have enjoyed my country 😉

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