Did you know that there are five mitad del mundos (middle of the worlds) in and around Quito? In this guide, I’ll help you decide if any of them are worth visiting.
When travellers in Quito say “I’m going to Mitad del Mundo”, they’re almost certainly talking about Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo, the huge obelisk at the northern edge of the city.
But ironically, there are actually five different locations in and around Quito which claim to mark the middle of the world. As geospatial technologies improved, the middle of the world kept moving, and new monuments were built.
However, it wasn’t until 1996 that modern GPS proved which of the monuments were accurate and which weren’t. It turns out that the equator actually lies 240 m north of Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo.
In this guide, I’m going to talk about the different locations incorrectlymarking the middle of the world, the correct locations, and whether I think any of these sites are worth visiting.
Is Mitad del Mundo worth it?
If we’re talking about the best-known monument at Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo, then I’d say that it’s not worth it.
The colossal obelisk is obviously the most impressive monument and best for taking photos, but it’s also a huge tourist trap. The site is also full of people selling things and, to me, has lost any sense of authenticity it once had. More importantly, it’s not even on the equator…
I recommend that you go to the Monte Catequilla, which correctly marks the equatorial line, or the original monument at Calacali, which is also not on the equator, but is a less touristy and free alternative to Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo.
So where is the real location of the middle of the world?
If you use modern GPS to identify the equatorial line, you’ll see that only two of the five ‘mitad del mundos’ correctly mark the equator: the Sundial of Guachalá and Monte Catequilla – the latter by far being the most interesting.
Monte Catequilla
At Monte Catequilla a tall totem pole stands at the summit of the 2,638-m tall mountain, but this isn’t anything to do with the equator.
In fact, the summit is believed to be a pre-Incan solar observatory built by the Quita-Cara people around 800 AD. There are archaeological leftovers here including a lithic disk – which could’ve been used for astronomical observations.
It just so happens that the equator passes directly through this site. Coincidence, or did the Quita Caras know that they were in the middle of the world?
It blows my mind that a civilisation could potentially have known this over 1,000 years ago and, according to this BBC video, there’s evidence to suggest they did. It’s in Spanish so you might need to stick subtitles on.
And here’s a video of Monte Catequilla with some good drone shots of the mountain. Stick around after watching it as I’ll explain how to get to this site.
Interestingly, in the video comments you’ll see some scathing criticism of the local authorities for not having preserved the archaeological ruins. To keep this article short and sweet, I haven’t dug into this, but it would be interesting to find out.
How to get to Monte Catequilla
Monte Catequilla is on the north-eastern edge of Quito, 40 km from the historic centre and 7 km from Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo.
For transparency, I haven’t been to Monte Catequilla, but I’ve done the research to make it easier for you to go. I’ll talk about the sites I have been to later on.
Taxi
Getting a taxi is the only feasible way of reaching Monte Catequilla if you don’t have your own vehicle. Uber quotes around $15 dollars from the historic centre and the ride lasts roughly 1 h 30 min.
$15 US is surprisingly cheap considering it’s a 40-km journey, even for Ecuador, so I’d double check how accurate this price is with a local. You could also bring the price down by first getting the metro to the northern-most station, El Labrador, which costs $0.45 US, and then getting a taxi from here.
Whatever way you choose, I’d ask your driver to wait for you at the summit. Although Monte Catequilla isn’t remote, I can’t imagine Ubers or other taxis venture up here often. You’ll have to pay the driver to wait, but between a few of you it wouldn’t cost much.
Bus
Google Maps says that there are a couple of ways to get to Monte Catequilla by bus, but all of these involve a 5-km walk from the final bus stop to the summit. Also, the total journey time would be 3 h each way…
Where to stay in Quito
My accommodation recommendations based on personal experience or excellent ratings across major booking platforms.
- Community Hostel: a budget hostel with a fun vibe. There are great views from the rooftop terrace.
- Apartamento 32 Juana de Arco: a holiday apartment with all amenities in the historic centre.
- Friends Hotel & Rooftop: A mid-range hotel in the historic centre offering veggie and vegan meals.
- Hotel La Basílica: A centrally-located, higher-end hotel with beautiful rooms and church views.
The Sundial of Guachalá
Built in 2007, the Sundial of Guachalá is the most recent monument to the equatorial line that actually marks the correct location. It’s roughly 50 km outside of Quito near the foot of the gigantic Cayambe Volcano (5,790 m).
The private site is officially called Museo Solar Quitsato (Quitsato Solar Museum). And of all the museums advertised as standing on the equator, this is the only one in the world that actually does.
The sun dial is behind the museum and is a large circular cobblestone plaza which you can walk around. Brighter stones mark the hour lines and at it its centre stands a pretty unimpressive orange tower.
I haven’t been here either so I can’t say too much more. But from what I’ve seen online, I wouldn’t say that the Sundial is worth visiting unless you’re going to be over that way already hiking in the Cayambe Coca National Park.
Museo Solar Quitsato is open 8:30-17:00 Tuesday to Sunday and entry costs $5 US for adults.
How to get to the Sundial of Guachalá
To get here with public transport, you’ll first need to take a bus from Terminal La Ofelia in Quito to Cayamabe, a county beside the volcano. This costs $3 US and takes roughly 1 h 30.
The bus company is Cooperativa Flor Del Valle and supposedly these run every 15 min. From Cayamabe you either need to walk 7 km south following the main road or get a taxi.
I wouldn’t even consider getting a taxi from Quito as it’ll likely cost you around $100 US.
The other ‘middle of the worlds’
Over the years the exact location of the equator has been calculated and recalculated as technology has evolved. And while these sites are now known to not mark where the equator truly lies, none of them missed the mark by much.
Calacali
Of the two sites I visited, this one was my favourite. The 10-m tall monument was built in 1936 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the French Geodesic Mission in Ecuador. This was one of the first geodesic expeditions where researchers used modern scientific principles.
The statue sits in the middle of a small plaza 164 m north of the equatorial line. Interestingly, the monument was originally located where Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo now stands, but was moved to Calacali to make way for the new monument.
It’s free to visit but an Uber will cost around $18 US from the historic centre and takes roughly an hour. The same journey by bus takes around 2 h which I didn’t fancy. But if you do, here’s the fastest route according to Google Maps.
Aside from the monument, there’s not much else to see in Calacali. However, you could make a day of it by heading an hour further north to hike in the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, which lies within the extinct Pululahua Volcano.
Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo
This is the site where 99.9% of people who want to stand on the equator visit. If I’m not mistaken, it’s Ecuador’s most-visited tourist attraction, and it’s easy to see why.
There’s the 30-m tall obelisk, which you can go inside and climb to a viewing platform, a couple of museums, a planetarium, and a bunch of other touristy stuff.
All of this for a $5 US entry fee and you can’t really complain. It’s just you’ll be sharing the place with a million other people and you won’t actually be at the equator…
The humungous statue was built between 1979 and 1982 to mark what was then believed to be the real equatorial line, alas, they were wrong again. But, I’m not criticising. The fact they calculated to within 240 m of the real equatorial line without modern GPS is impressive.
Although I don’t recommend Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo, if you spend time checking out the museums and learning about the 1736 geodesic mission, it could be worth it.
Google Maps says you can get here with a single bus from the city centre. This should cost less than $1 US and take roughly 1 h 30 min. A taxi will take around 1 h depending on traffic and should cost around $18 US.
Tours to Mitad del Mundo
A lot of people still go to Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo knowing it’s not on the equator. After all, you can get some pretty cool pictures here. If you’re going, then a tour will save you any hassle.
The Globe in San Luis de Guachalá (La Bola de Guachalá)
Perhaps the most modest of all the monuments marking the middle of the world is the small-ish globe in San Luís de Guchalá, which is just down the road from the Sundial of Guachalá.
Placed in 1949 by the Ecuadorean Military Geographic Institute, the globe lies 143 m south of the true equator, meaning it was more accurately placed than the 1979 statue completed over 30 years later.
To get to La Bola de Guachalá, take the same bus you would to get to the Sundial of Guachalá. For me, the globe doesn’t do it, and I wouldn’t hop on a bus for almost 2 h when you can get to the real equatorial line at Monte Catequilla in less time and for less money.
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Do you think Mitad del Mundo is worth it?
It’s amazing how many of the countless travel bloggers who’ve written guides to Ciudad del Mitad del Mundo haven’t even mentioned any of the other sites. That’s not to bash them, but there’s so much more to this topic than one location.
So, to summarise, my recommendation is to go to Monte Catequilla, the real and, in my opinion, most impressive ‘middle of the world’. But if you don’t fancy venturing that far, then the second best option, albeit incorrectly located, would be Calacali.
I hope you found this guide useful; I had a lot of fun writing it and laughing at how many times the middle of the world has moved in Ecuador.
More Quito guides:
- 18 Top Things to do in Quito and Nearby for Adventure
- Rucu Pichincha Volcano Hike Guide
- How to Visit the Cable Car in Quito (TelefériQo)
- Virgin of El Panecillo Viewpoint in Quito
- How to Visit the Basílica del Voto Nacional in Quito
- Great Pita Waterfall (Gran Cascada del Rio Pita): A Hidden Gem Near Quito
- Vilatuña and Condor Machay Waterfall Hike (Cascada Condor Machay)
- Guide to the Pasochoa Hike (Volcan Pasochoa)
- Cuicocha Lake (Laguna Cuicocha) Hike Guide Ecuador
- Hiking at El Parámo de Papallacta