Quito Map

• La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world) is a small village administered by the prefecture of the province of Pichincha, 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Quito. The village features a large monument, built on the site where the equator was thought to have crossed in the early 1980s. There is also a museum that contains a model of Quito, a planetarium, various exhibits, several restaurants, an open arena that is occasionally used for folkloric-dance performances, and a small chapel where couples can marry with one spouse standing in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern. It has since been determined, with the use of Global Positioning System technology, that the actual equator is some 240 metres (790 ft) north of the monument area.

• Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, located a few miles northwest from La Mitad del Mundo, contains the Pululahua volcano, whose caldera (crater) is visible from a spot easily accessible by car. It is believed to be one of only a few in the world with human inhabitants.

• Quito Zoo, located near the rural parish of Guayllabamba, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) outside Quito, has the biggest collection of native fauna in Ecuador, including several kinds of animals that are sometimes targeted in Ecuador in the illegal fur trade.

• Some of the other nearby natural attractions are:Cotopaxi National ParkMindo Nambillo cloud forestIlliniza volcanoPasochoa Wildlife RefugePichincha (Rucu & Guagua) volcanoes

• This monumental basilica is the most important neo-Gothic architecture in Ecuador and one of the most representative of the American continent, which at the time is the largest in the New World. It is located in the downtown of the city of Quito, in the streets Carchi and Venezuela next to the Convent of los padres Oblatos. This religious church was built to commemorate the consecration of the Ecuadorian State to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, held under the presidency of Gabriel García Moreno in 1873. It is 115 m high and consists of 24 internal chapels representing the provinces of Ecuador. This sanctuary was inaugurated and blessed by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Ecuador on 18 January 1985.

• One detail that distinguishes the work is replacing the traditional gargoyles for reptiles and amphibians typical of the Ecuadorian fauna; also rose windows represent the flora of Ecuador. At the highest point of the main tower one can see the city and surrounding mountains. The central nave of the church is 140 m long, 35 meters wide and 30 meters high in which are arranged 14 bronze images that represent 11 apostles and 3 evangelists. Throughout the history of its construction several contributions were made for the completion of the construction; Father Oblatos donated the land on which the Basilica stands, to proceed with the construction were accepted donations from believers who provided stones in exchange for recording their names on them. In 1985, the government introduced a tax on purchases of salt to continue the construction and completion of construction was achieved after several generations of stonemason dedicates their lives to build each wall of the enclosure. Another attraction of the Basilica del Voto Nacional is the pantheon of presidents of Ecuador.

• San Francisco, is the largest of the existing architectural ensembles in the historic centres of cities in Latin America. The construction of the church began in 1550, on land adjacent to the plaza where the Native Americans engaged in the barter of products. The work was led by the Flemish Franciscan Jodoco Rique. The church finally completed around 1680 is the harmonious result of Mudéjar, Mannerist and Baroque influences. The Franciscan friars were the first who settled in Quito. Highlights the main altar, side chapels and the pulpit. In the main altar is the image of the Virgin of Quito, sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda, a master of the Quito School.

• A legend has it that an Indian surnamed Cantuña pledged to build the porch of this church; being loss be made ​​a pact with the Devil . This in return, asked for his soul and Cantuña accepted. The little devils started the construction that lasted one night. Accomplished the mission, Cantuña prayed to the Virgin to save him from being taken by the devil, and when Lucifer came for the soul of Cantuña, found to be missing a stone to place and for that reason, the pact was nullified. In this way saved his soul.

• The church is located at the intersection of Benalcázar, Bolívar, Sucre and Cuenca. Is one block ahead of the church of La Compañía de Jesús.

• Because Quito is about 40 km (24.85 miles) long and 5 km (3.1 miles) at its widest, most of the important avenues of the city extend from north to south. The two main motorways that go from the northern part of the city to the southern are Avenue Oriental (Corridor Periférico Oriental) on the eastern hills that border the city, and Avenue Occidental on the western side of the city on the Pichincha volcano. The street 10 de Agosto also runs north to south through most of the city, running down the middle of it. Because of the hills and the city's curved shape, a grid pattern is extremely difficult to imply. The historic centre of the city is based on a grid pattern, despite the hills, with the streets Venezuela, Chile, García Moreno, and Guayaquil being the most important.

• Quito is the home city of six prominent football clubs in Ecuador. Domestically, the city's top three club (El Nacional, Deportivo Quito and LDU Quito) have won a combined 26 national championships, which accounts for over half of all championships won. Deportivo Quito were the first Quito team to play in the league championship (in 1960, 3 years before El Nacional and LDU), they were also the first out of the big three to win the title. El Nacional have won the joint most Serie A titles with 13 championships (tied with Barcelona of Guayaquil). LDU Quito is the only Ecuadorian club to have won 4 international titles.