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I’ll be honest with you. Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World), a touristic “city” within San Antonio de Pichincha, is a cheesy tourist trap. Its large 30m tall monument is said to be exactly on the equator but is actually about 240m off the mark – but nobody looking at the pictures of you straddling the yellow line has to know.
History
Tourist trap aside, the monument does have some historical significance. In 1736, this was the spot that French scientists Louis Godin (1704-1760), Pierre Bouguer (1698-1758), Charles Marie de la Condamine (1701-1774) determined was precisely on the equator. Of course, they were later proven wrong by modern technology, but it was quite a feat for their day and pretty accurate, if you think about it.
Visiting
Is it worth a visit? You can’t come all the way to Ecuador and NOT visit the equator – so yes, it is. Not just for the monument, but there are plenty of other interesting things to see in the area that make it worth the trip. I was disappointed that most people come just for a stupid picture on the fake equator and they don’t bother to see more interesting things.
Admission is US$5 for adults and US$2.50 for kids and seniors (as of July 2025). It includes entrance to the monument and all the museums. Hours are 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Long Path
Once through the turnstiles, there’s a long path with busts of the French scientists and geographers who traveled to the area on the French Geodesic Mission. The monument is directly ahead at the end of the path. As you’re walking along the way, you’ll likely get bothered by people offering deals on meals in some of the restaurants serving traditional Ecuadorean food in the plaza. We ate at one and it wasn’t great.
To the left, there’s a planetarium and a few museums with art exhibitions. Other museums include the Beer Museum, Train Museum, and Guayasamín Museum.
The Monument
Once at the monument, you’ll be able to take the same pictures everyone else takes: arms raised and feet straddling the line, or the trick photo holding up the globe. The monument is actually very beautifully done with a flower garden indicating north and south.
If you walk around the monument, which was built in 1979, you’ll notice each side has a different emblem inscribed. An explanation is included for what you can seen in each direction.
Inside the monument, you’re ushered to an elevator that takes you to the top for some fantastic views in every direction. In the picture below, you can see the plaza that includes several restaurants, overpriced souvenir shops, a small church, and a bullring.
As you make your way down the stairs of the monument, there’s a nice ethnographic museum with displays about the several indigenous peoples of Ecuador. On the ground floor are interactive displays.
Getting There
The most convenient way to get to Mitad del Mundo is the direct hop-on, hop-off tourist bus. It leaves from Avenida Shyris and Avenida Naciones Unidas at 9am, 11:30am, and 2pm, and there are three stops. The first stop is at the Intiñan Museum, then Mitad del Mundo, and finally at Casa Agave before returning to Quito. You can take your time and visit as much as you’d like without being rushed. The last departure back to Quito is after 5pm. Prices are current as of July 2025:
- Transportation only is US$15.
- The Standard Tour is US$20 and includes entry to Mitad del Mundo.
- The Premium Tour is US$25 and includes entry to Mitad del Mundo and the Intiñan Museum.
- The Gold Tour is US$42 for adults and US$37 for kids. It includes entry to Mitad del Mundo, the Intiñan Museum, and Casa Agave.
Another option is to use public transportation. Take yellow Metrobus in Quito to Ofelia (the very last stop), then get on any bus that says “Mitad del Mundo”. Get off when you reach the huge roundabout near the monument. The whole trip costs US$0.40 on-way (as of July 2025) and takes about 90 minutes. We chose this option and were able to fit in lots of attractions. We arrived at Mitad del Mundo at 11am and were on our way back to Quito at 4pm without rushing.
