Pichincha

Independence Square or Plaza de la Independencia, located at the heart of the Old City, the main square holds the Monument to the Independence in honor to the Heroes of August 10, 1809. On this date the city had the “First Cry of Independence” of the Royal Audience of Quito from the Spanish monarchy. Around this Plaza you find the Presidential Palace or Carondelet Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Municipal Palace. Carondelet Palace is the seat of the government of the Republic of Ecuador, and official residence of the president. This emblematic building’s history dates back to colonial times around 1575. During the Republican era, almost all the presidents have governed from this building. The president lives with his family in the palace, in a luxurious colonial-style apartment. Current sitting president, considering that the palace and most state agencies are Ecuadorian heritages, converted the presidential palace into a museum accessible to anyone who wishes to visit.

El Panecillo is a 656 foot hill located to the south of the Old City, at the top of this hill we can see an impressive 148 foot tall aluminum monument of the “Virgin of Quito”. This virgin also known as the Quito’s Madona monument has a bronze placard affixed in which the statue represents the Woman of the Apocalypse, as described in the Book of Revelations. This hill was known in Inca times as Shungoloma or “Hill of the Hearth”. It was used as a place of worship of the sun, after the Spanish arrival from 1812 to 1815 they used the hill to construct a fortress to control what was going on down in the city. Today when you travel to the top you can have a 360° view of the city, on clear days you can see the white crested volcanoes of Cotopaxi and Cayambe.

Mitad del Mundo, this national landmark is located 20 km or 12.4 miles to the north of Quito, here you find the square that contains the pyramid “Equator Monument” located at latitude 0-0’-0”. The Equatorial Line is that mathematical and imaginary line that divides the earth in two halfs called North and South Hemispheres. Local ancestors, Los Quitus, before the discovery of America called this site Inty-Ñan or the Sun’s Path. The monuments stand 30m or 98.5 feet tall, and is topped with a golden globe. The Museo Etnográfico Mitad del Mundo, was finished in 1982 and it was supposed to mark the point where the equator passes through Ecuador. However, according to recent GPS calculations, the equator actually lies about 240 meters north of the marked line. The government is proposing a new structure to mark the actual equator. The "Tower of the Sun" proposed by noted Uruguay- born architect Rafael Vinoly would be a mile-tall tower, roughly twice as tall as Dubai's Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. The tower will include a handful of levels that will be essentially platforms for museums, concessions and observation along the lower half of the massive spire. A pressurized elevator will take visitors to nearly three miles above sea level. The Tower of the Sun project is estimated to cost $200 million, and local officials say they've had discussions with potential investors from the United States, Qatar and elsewhere. If all goes as the tower's promoters hope, construction could begin in 2014. So, visiting the Half the world is a unique and fascinating experience, tourists visiting this square can’t resist the opportunity of having their picture taken while standing on both hemispheres at the same time with the Pyramid on the background. Other attractions to visit when you are here: • The Ethnographic Museum • The Planetarium • The Art Pavilions • Colonial Quito • Colonial Churches • Insectaries • Cathedral • The Cable Car to Pichincha • Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve

Pichincha Province is located in the north center of the country, in the geographical area known as the inter-Andean region or sierra, founded on July 25, 1824, holds a population of about 3, 230,000 people as of the 2020 census, this province its one of richest in the country with a full display of the Spanish architecture, history, mesmerizing landscapes and much more. Because of its strategic location, Pichincha province is the point of departure to other places in Ecuador, The climate is variable due to the height, from the tropical to the glacial, due to the presence of the Andes mountain range. A wide variety of attractions such as the Half City of the World, (Mitad del Mundo), Papallacta thermal waters, Teleferico to the volcano Pichincha and hike to the Guagua Pichincha, Las Tolas de Cochasquí and the Caldera del Pululahua, are located in places close to the Ecuadorian capital. While in the snow and volcanoes that surround Quito, montañist can experience the trill of high climbing.