Swing at the End of the World- from Slate

Take a Seat on the Swing at the End of the World

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By Ella Morton

Photo: Rinaldo Wurglitsch

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura.

Hike three hours uphill from the Ecuadorean city of Baños and you'll find a tree on the edge of an abyss. The simple wooden structure perched in its branches is a seismic monitoring station in disguise, built to keep an eye on nearby Mount Tungurahua. But that's not the most remarkable thing about this tree -- suspended from a thin branch is the Swing at the End of the World.

The swing, made from two long ropes and a slim stick of wood, arcs into the vast canyon. Take a seat, push yourself into the void, and hold on tight -- there is no harness and no safety net.

Visit Atlas Obscura for more on the Swing at the End of the World.

Photo: Rinaldo Wurglitsch

Photo: Rinaldo Wurglitsch

Swings and roundabouts:

• For centuries young Thai men used this Giant Swing as a slingshot to heaven
• This carousel trades in its classic horses for endangered species and a modern soundtrack
• Three vintage horses survived a 1976 inferno and found a home on a sister carousel

View La casa del arbol in a larger map

Visit Atlas Obscura for more on the Swing at the End of the World.

Ella is a writer currently working on The Atlas Obscura, a book about global wonders, curiosities and esoterica adapted from AtlasObscura.com. Twitter: @ellamorton.