Mitad del Mundo

One of the highlights of visiting Ecuador is being able to say that you have been to the middle of the world. This all started around the year 1736 when a French lead team used the available technology to geo map the equator just north of Quito Ecuador. A huge monument was erected and still stands today. Unfortunately, throughout the years newer technology has shown the French to be about 250 meters off the true mark. Still an amazing attempt, considering how long ago they made their original discovery. Today, the French discovery site Mitad del Mundo is still as popular as ever. But in reality the visitors are mostly in it for the cool photo opt.

The original site

Newer Technology & Newer Discoveries

Using modern day technology the equator was tracked to just a stone’s throw away from the original location. From this updated discovery The Intinan Museum was born. A smaller and less grand collection than the original site but in no way less appealing. This is where you will go to visit the true middle of the world in Ecuador. There is a $4 entry fee which comes complete with a guide to walk you through some gravity games and answer all of your questions.

Shrunken Heads

How to Get There

From Quito you have to make your way to The Ofelia Bus Station. Ask your accommodation for the best way to arrive to Ofelia. There are frequent public buses to the site from this station.

Hours

0930 to 1700. Monday through Sunday

Considerations

Currently there are 13 countries and/or their territories that fall along the equator. Some of these countries are in recent years starting their own middle of the world tourism but are less impressive according to our guide. Because anyone with a store bought GPS device can find the equator with the power of today’s technology. According to our guides at the museum Ecuador is the most impressive equator site. One might think that the Ecuadorian guide might be speaking with a bit of bias considering his Ecuadorian blood. But consider his explanation: the people living in this region knew far before the French discovery that they lived somewhere special. The guide credits this to the people living in the mountains that observed the skies. He explains that they might not have known that this was the middle of Earth but they knew it was a special place far before any type of technology or science told them so. And far before other countries.

Did you know that you’ll weigh about 1kg/ 2.2lbs less at the equator than you usually weigh 🙂

2 places at once !!! 🙂

Afterthoughts

This is probably the best $4 I’ve spent in Ecuador. Sure it’s a tiny site without most of the bells and whistles of the first site but it’s still magical. While most people pile into the first site for the photo opt Museo Intinan waits virtually empty.

*Don’t forget your passport! You can get a cool stamp in the souvenir shop for free!

One of the many Gravity Games! Shake the egg and balance it on the nail. Possible b/c the weight of the yolk falls straight down at the equator.

Traditional Dance from the area

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