El Panecillo and the Quito Ecuador Virgin monument are a very nice place to see the Quito Historic Center Then go to Mitad del Mundo Monument 30 km from Quito Ecuador

This name was given by the Spanish, but there are believes that its original name was "shungoloma", that in quichua means "hill of the heart". The Incas had here a temple for a god called Yavirac.

It divides the center from the south of the city. The only Inca legacy that we can observe in the present time is the call "Olla del Panecillo" that surely was used for the irrigation of crops. Its altitude is of 3000 meters.

In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras made a the aluminum monument of Virgin which decorates the peak of the hill. The monument is made up of seven thousand pieces; it is considered the greater aluminum representation of the world. It is a copy of a sculpture of the Ecuadorian artist Bernardo de Legarda of the Immaculate Virgin.

How to get there?
To get there walking, you can use one access that it starts in García Moreno street. If you want to go by car use the avenue Melchor Aymerich, it is the only road that connects the downtown it with the top.

The best way is to take a taxi to the top of the hill in Plaza Grande square if you are already in the Quito Downtown, the best is at Garcia Moreno street in front of Carondelet Goverment palace, the taxi will cost just 1,5 or 2 USD with taximeter on, always take it when the taximeter is working, if the taxi driver tells you the device doesn´t work, he doesn´t have one or something, just down and don´t be fooled by this people. The trip takes just 15 minutes in rush hours to the top, the city view is amazing and you couldn´t forget this experience.

Tours to the Historic Center of Quito

The enterprise that manages Quito's Downtown invites foreign and national tourists to discover it, to know more about its architecture, and to walk through the narrow streets and centennial plazas of the capital. The tours include visits to churches and museums which constructions maintain the baroque style and enclose sculptures of artists of the colonial time. Ask for it in the Information island located in Plaza Grande square, in the Arzobispal palace corner, at Venezuela St. You could see very easy because a tourist police with blue uniform is in the place.

"Ciudad Mitad del Mundo" Middle of the World

The construction of the present monument starts in 1979; the monument has 30 meters of height, and it emphasizes the importance of the discoveries of the First Geodesic Mission. Next to the monument, there is a tourist villa called " Mitad del Mundo City". This villa was built using classic colonial architectonic draws: the central plaza, the church and the town hall. Surrounding these constructions you will find, several artisan warehouses, restaurants, cafeterias and a post office.

Schedule:
Monday to Thursday: 9h00 - 18h00
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 9h00 - 19h00

• How to get there
  The Quito Metrobus carry you to the La Delicia station, take the Metrobus at America Avenue or Prensa Ave. to north way with destination la Ofelia transfer station, in la Delicia station, two stations before, there are green and blue buses who feeds the system, and take you to Mitad del Mundo.
  
  Ask to the Metrobus driver where is the exactly station to down, and ask to the feed bus driver if his itinerarie goes to monument, in most cases the bus driver will tell he arrives to San Antonio de Pichincha town and then to the Mitad del Mundo monument site. The bus cost just 40 or 50 dollar cents is not an expensive option.
  
  If he not arrive to Monument ask him to leave the most nearly point to monument and walk two or three blocks to monument, please always carry a hat or something like this because in the area the sun goes vertical to earth and it´s light is very strong and burn "gringos skin".
  
  
• If you decide to go direct by Taxi the prices vary including guide from 25 to 35 USD per traveler, the entrance to the Mitad del Mundo monument complex is normally not included in your tour, ask always to make sure that it´s include or not. It´s because there are a lot of museums and interesting sites who covers their own fee, get a minimun budget of 10 dollars to enter in different sites.
  
  
• Finally if you want you can rent a taxi to go there, call please to the 2639-639 JJ taxi company, and ask for a taxi to mitad del mundo, this company always use taximeter and ask for a taxi with it, if they say not we don´t use this in the route, negotitate the price with the phone clerk, is nice to know the the price to pay starts at 25 USD to 30 USD one way ticket, don´t pay more than it. This is a good option for 3 or 4 travelers, the price could be reduce to 10 or 9 USD per traveler.

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