QUITSATO SUNDIAL

The Quitsato Sundial is the first and only Monument of the Middle of the world, which is exactly on the Equatorial Line or Zero Parallel.

It is a large sundial of 52 meters in diameter, made with a large stone mosaic that indicate the different lines of the solstices and equinoxes, as well as the hours of the day, these are marked by means of the projection of the shadow of a Large 10 meter high pole that is exactly in the center of this large circular platform.

The monument works as well as a large calendar as well as a sundial, thus becoming the best place in the world to understand the apparent movements of the Sun, how the seasons work, the history of the calendar, the agricultural calendar and different astronomical geographical aspects and educational that make this site transcend in the minds of our visitors.

Quitsato Sundial, is the first monument in the world, which has been built in relation to space technology, not only for its satellite positioning, but also because its platform can be observed and processed from satellites, as different colors of the stones that make up the mosaic, have different temperatures; white stones are colder, because they reflect sunlight, while dark ones are hotter because they absorb solar radiation.

The Monument not only draws attention due to its unique design, as a circular platform, where the infrastructure is horizontal, and on the ground, but also, for its incredible landscape, since from this point you can see several archaeological sites, diverse mountains of the Equatorial Andes and above all, the imposing presence of the Cayambe Volcano, the only place in the world, where the Equatorial Line, crosses by snow, by the glacier of name “Equatorial”. The Cayambe, at the same time, is the highest place on the equatorial line in the world.

We have a large parking lot and to give better comfort to our visitors, we are on the side of the Panavial road, km 192, E 35, via Quito-Cayambe (south), in the sector of Guachalá, in just 1 hour and 20 minutes from Quito, heading north, where are the tourist sites of Imbabura, Otavalo, Cotacachi, Ibarra and other tourist-known sites.

HOW TO GET THERE

If you want to visit us from the city of Quito, you must take a bus from the Cooperativa “Flor del Valle”, to Cayambe, the same one that leaves the Ofelia Station north of Quito, every 10 minutes. After approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, you will have to disembark, in the sector of La Bola de Guachalá, where you will find the Solar Clock, at the foot of the road (Panavial).

We open every day of the year without interruption.

The Quitsato Project, is not for profit, however it is a fully self-managed project, and our income is generated thanks to our visitors, who visit us day after day and acquire our publications, which include posters, videos, encyclopedic discs and the book “Quitu-Caranqui Astronomy”.

Many of our visitors understand the work undertaken by our project and we appeal to their conscience to help us with the purchase of our informative material.

We work as a team with the native guides of the region to promote community tourism and thus create an awareness of the value of archaeological sites and their conservation. We offer expeditions to tourists of all ages and backgrounds, domestic and foreign, we guide with updated and cutting-edge information, we accompany the guides with instruments such as a GPS, binoculars and compasses to make playful exhibitions and help visitors to enjoy the sites with a dignified and novel understanding, we always have a speech attached to the conservation of the environment.