The line separating two hemispheres

Ecuador is a charming place to visit with an increasingly prominent tourism projection. The capital Quito, the large and populous Guayaquil, or the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City), where you can literally step on the earth’s equator line, are just some of this fascinating country’s attractions.

Ecuador’s importance as a tourist destination continues to grow year by year, this is a fact. Apart from the annual increase in the number of visitors observed by its authorities, Quito has also been chosen as the venue for the 12^th edition of the Hospitality and Tourism Investment Conference in South America in 2019, further reinforce this idea.

Quito, the country’s capital city, has a population of almost 2 million living in its urban centre, and a further 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, and is officially recognised as the highest capital city in the world at an elevation of 2800m above sea level. The most recognisable tourist landmark in the city has to be El Panecillo, a giant sculpture of the Virgin Maria standing at an impressive 3000m above sea level. Due to its location, it’s one of the best vantage points in the entire city.

Its financial and commercial area stands out for its cosmopolitan and international character, another highlight is the luxury and quality service offered to guests staying at Akros Hotel by BlueBay. Whether visiting for business or pleasure, this hotel is ideally located to discover the city and its surroundings.

Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, located in the San Antonio parish in the canton of Quito, is a little over an hour’s drive north of the city. It’s a great tourist attraction for both adults and children alike and marks the exact location of the equator.

In addition to the stone monument and having one foot in the northern hemisphere and the other in the south, the area is also full of experiments and trivia related to the physical properties of this place at latitude zero degrees. These include changes in body weight and gravity (thanks to the well-known experiment of balancing an egg on the head of a nail), and water flowing both counter-clockwise and clockwise down a sink or drain.

In terms of food, one delicacy stands out from all the country’s other dishes: Cuy, or guinea pig is said to be highly nutritious and is also a symbolic dish for Ecuadorians and is usually only served to distinguished guests on special occasions.

Ecuador has many places worth visiting, but we’d like to highlight a few here before finishing. The first is Cuenca del Ecuador with its colonial buildings resembling the classic Hanging Houses of its counterpart in Spain, and the second is Guayaquil, the core economic driving force of the country.