Cuenca (Ecuador).
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Overview

Cuenca is a vibrant colonial city in southern Ecuador, the third largest in the country, and the capital of Azuay Province. The city is located in a highland valley at about 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level, and is home to 518,000 people according to the 2010 census. Its moderate climate makes it enjoyable year round. The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site site because of its many historical buildings. Everywhere you look in Cuenca, there are flowers, blooming trees, grass and rushing waters.

Cuenca is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with passes to the west, south and east. From downtown, looking southwest, you can see the beautiful Cajas mountains; the majority of this area is protected by the large Cajas National Park (Parque Nacional Cajas), well worth the trip.

The city is cleaner and safer than most large cities in developing countries and there are claims it has purer water than most U.S. and European cities. Unlike other cities in Ecuador, the drinking water is OK to consume. From 2010 to 2013 the government utility agency, ETAPA, built new water and sewage mains covering 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres).

The Cuenca city government has hired a Spanish urban planning company to design 80 km of bicycle trails that will be constructed throughout the city of Cuenca. These trails are in addition to the trails that already follow several of the rivers that run through Cuenca.

Understand

Cuenca's full name is Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca. The dominant features of the city's geography are also the source of its name; In Spanish cuatro rios means "four rivers" and cuenca means "basin", and the city is in a basin made by a confluence of rivers. These rivers are the Tomebamba (named after the Cañari culture), Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara, in order of importance. The first three of these rivers originate in the Páramo of Parque Nacional Cajas to the west of the city. These four rivers are part of the Amazon river watershed. In fact, the locals are very proud of their rivers.

Cuenca is a city whose culture encompasses over 100 years or more at the same time. While walking in Cuenca, you will see modern buildings, use high-speed internet and wireless communications while seeing natives washing their clothes in the river while talking on cell phones. You will see many modern vehicles while seeing people move their cows, horses and donkeys to graze along the rivers and parks. In around the markets, you will see people milking their goats and others hauling milk into town on a donkey. This is the charm of Cuenca, a culture that encapsulates traditions and practices of many decades.

A tram line, Tranvía, has been in operation since March 2020, along one line with 27 stops.

Cuenca is a very walkable city. Over the past year, the city has been upgrading miles of sidewalks which is making the city even more pedestrian friendly. Just watch for the drivers, because they will not watch for you. The Ecuadorian government is working on slowing down traffic, but this will take some time and education.

Get in

Be mindful that, unless you are already in Quito or Guayaquil, flying to Cuenca will likely require multiple layovers. If connecting through Quito or Guayaquil, you may have to go through customs then re-enter through security. Make sure you have enough time between flights to make your connections.

The Tranvía, Cuenca's tramway line, also connects the airport with the city center.

By bus or car Cuenca lies on the Pan-American highway. Buses offer connections to many cities in Ecuador. The bus system in Ecuador is well developed. Buses can be obtained every one or two hours during the day.

The Viajeros buses to Loja do not have a working bathroom and they can take up to 7 hours (you maybe told that it will take 4 hours and that it only make one stop, but it may stop more than 50 times).

Departures at 07:45, 11:00, 16:00, 19:30 and 24:00. There is a working toilet.

To Alausi: 4 hours (Transportes Alausi) To Riobamba: 6 hours (Patria) To Piura, Peru: There is a service to Piura leaving at 19:30, 21:00 and 23:00. This is a partnership between two companies, Pullman Sucre and CIFA International. It is necessary to change bus at either Machala or Huaquillas. The 19:30 and 23:00 services connect to a special sleeper seat service. It is a good idea to purchase your ticket a day in advance as it is not unusual for them to book out. To Tumbes, Peru: Azuay has one bus a day from Tumbes to Cuenca at 21:00 that arrives in Tumbes at 03:00 or so. Pullman Sucre no longer runs this route, despite what the schedule on their website says (Feb 2018).

Get around

Cuenca's tourism office, iTur, is on the main plaza (Parque Calderón) and has lots of helpful maps and brochures to guide you during your visit in and around the city. (M-F 08:00–22:00, Sa Su 08:30–13:30 Mariscal Sucre, between Luis Cordero and Benigno Malo. There is also a satellite iTur office in the airport (M-W 07:30–11:00, 14:00–15:30 and 17:00–19:00, Th F 07:30–11:00, 14:00–15:30, 16:30–19:00, Sa 08:00–12:00.

Central Cuenca is easily walkable, and it is often faster than taking a cab through the narrow traffic-jammed lanes.

The fee should be negotiated before entering the car. Some taxis make use of taxi-meters.

City buses are also fairly easy to figure out. Most bus stops are marked. You can find a guide to using the City buses, as well as maps of the routes and an online trip planner at CuencaTransit.com .

See

The New Cathedral (c 1885). Looming over the main plaza is the city's main church, with its famous 3 large domes. Spot the vertical crack in the building between the statue and the rosette. Seminario San Luis. Two small but cute courtyards adjacent to the cathedral, they can be accessed from Santa Ana street or from Parque Calderón / Benigno Malo. Both offer beautiful views of the domes of the New Cathedral. There are a few restaurants and coffee shops there, a very nice scenery to enjoy your meal. El Sagrario (the "old cathedral"). Construction began in 1557. It's no longer in use as a church, and is now a museum. A restoration project has been completed and the original paint and old murals can now be seen in certain sections.

Museo y Parque Arqueológico Pumapungo. The museum has very good exhibits for those interested in the ethnological history of the region and city, including exhibits like the shrunken heads. The museum has expansive grounds with well-preserved Inca ruins, an aviary with a variety of spectacular birds, a botanical garden with a focus on food and medicinal plants used by the Incas, and some llamas.

Museo de las Culturas Aborigenes. A large collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and pottery displayed. There seemed to be free guides in English (or French) describing room by room the artifacts but it couldn’t be confirmed as of February 2023. Guidebooks in Spanish, French and English can be borrowed. Cafe and handicrafts shop.

CIDAP (Centro Interamericano de Artesanías y Artes Populares). The CIDAP has the largest collection of crafts and pieces of folk art of America, from 26 countries with more than 8000 pieces of ceramics, textiles, wood, metals, plant fibers, stone, glass, utensils, and tools of work. It offers a variety of temporary exhibitions throughout the year.

Christmas Parade (Pase del Niño Viajero) — On 24 December, Cuenca offers a magnificent parade, considered to be the largest and best Christmas celebration in Ecuador and even South America. The procession begins at 10:00 at San Sebastian, goes along Simón Bolivar street, Plaza Calderón and ends up in San Blas. Thousands of musicians accompany the procession and every neighborhood decorates trucks, horses and whatever they can find with plenty of symbols. Children dress up in colorful costumes or as biblical figures. The parade last for at least 7 hours. During the parade, you will see thousands of people dressed up as Joseph, Mary, the three Wise Men, angels, etc. This is truly a sight to see. Festival de Independencia — The independence of Cuenca is celebrated with a huge festival that lasts twice as long as the battle did. Each year it begins the first few days of November and lasts for three to four days. There are hundreds of art displays, craft booths, roving entertainment, street food, and general festivities. Artisans from all over Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia display and sell their works. During this time, there are also many stages with bands and performers. On the north side of the river, at the bottom of the Escalinatas, the grounds of the art museum CIDAP host much more elaborate display booths than those that crowd the sidewalks. A little farther up the river, at La Esquina des Artes across from the University of Cuenca, there are several artists, and a few vendors sell gourmet food products. La Esquina des Artes is an area of permanent shops of artists and artisans.

Do

Sightseeing Bus. Leaves from Parque Calderón.

Cuenca River Walk. The river walk is a great place to walk, relax and enjoy the views of the city. The city of Cuenca has a vision for the river walk to someday become another San Antonio, Texas. The river walk is along the Tomebamba river that flows close to downtown.

Outside of Cuenca Devil’s Nose train leaves from Alausi, about 2½ hours from Cuenca. It is considered one of the world’s best railway engineering feats. This scenic railway travels over a series of switchbacks as it zigzags down the steep mountainside passing small villages and Andean lakes along the way. As of March 2022, the train remains shut down due to continuing COVID restrictions. There is a hiking trail nearby that offers a view of the train's route. Contact local tour companies for further information and assistance.

Ingapirca. Approximately 1 hour north by automobile or 2¼ hours by bus is the excavated ruins of Ingapirca (Kichwa: Inkapirka, meaning “Inca wall”). The ruins are located just outside of the small town of El Tambo in the Cañar Province. The town was named after the Inca palace and temple site. These are the largest known Inca ruins in Ecuador. At the site, you will see the excavated temples of both the Incas and the Cañar. Ingapirca was the northern ruling city of the Inca empire. Directions: In order to reach Ingapirca, there are two different access roads from the main Panamerican highway that are approximately 8 to 10 km travel: (1) North entrance from El Tambo (recommend option); and (2) South entrance which is just south of Uculoma. The journey east from the Panamerican takes you through typical southern Andean countryside panorama, including sheep, donkeys, llamas. Direct buses to the ruins can be boarded at the bus terminal close to Cuenca airport, leaving at 09:00 and 12:20, returning at 13:30 and 15:45 (the bus waits near the ruins before returning to Cuenca, it's better to ask the driver about the exact return time). Bus journey time is 2¼ hours each way. For the direct bus you need to buy a ticket in the Cooperativa Cañar booth (booth #04). Outside these times, take a bus to El Tambo (2 hours) and change there for a bus to Ingapirca (30 minutes). Tours: You cannot visit the site on your own, the only way to do it is to get a tour. The guides will meet you at the gate. The majority of the tours are in Spanish. There is an English guided tour once per day. Ingapirca is always closed on the many holidays in Ecuador, so make sure to check out the holiday schedule before you take a trip to Ingapirca.

Hot springs and spa in Cuenca — On the outskirts of Cuenca, about a 15-minute bus ride from Coral Centro on Las Americas, 40 minutes from downtown, is a quaint little town called Baños de Cuenca (not to be confused with Baños, nearer Quito.) Baños de Cuenca is right below a mountain where natural warm mineral water flows into the valley. The people of this quiet little town took advantage of this natural resource and created three different mineral spring parks where one can go and bathe in the mineral pools. Piedra de Agua Mineral Springs & Spa, a beautiful resort with restaurant, is in the same area. Sunscreen can be handy as the pools are outdoor.

Learn

Learn Spanish. There are many language schools for foreign visitors in Cuenca.

Buy

Flowers at the flower market on Calle Sucre across from the new cathedral. Continue on about a block from there to get to the clothing and artesan market where one can also find knit crafts from Otavalo. Lovely handmade ruanas, sweaters, hats, mittens, and finger puppets are also available here. Inside the yellow CemuArt building across from the police station at the market other artisans have booths with beautiful embroidery, metal, wood and leather work, Panama hats, musical instruments, knit goods, jewelry and other handicrafts.

ABC Libreria. Diagonal to the flower market, there is a tiny selection of English books.

Centro de Bordados Cuenca. Exclusive arts from rural communities located in the southern region of Ecuador.

La Esquina des Artes. A permanent and quaint display of artists and artisans located next to the University of Cuenca.

Mall del Rio. Cuenca's biggest shopping mall, with cinemas (typically Spanish language only) and food court.

Rafael Paredes & Hijos. To buy from their fine range of Panama hats. You get a short tour round, an explanation of how they are made and a chance to see your hat go from a simple woven straw cone to a finished wearable hat. Various styles, men's and women's and sizes.

Eat

Cafe Eucalyptus. Very popular with travellers, all-tapas bar, all very tasty. Live music on weekends. It's warm and friendly, and also good for groups.

Goza. One of the better cafés in the lovely historical centre of Cuenca, with a beautiful (heated!) street terrace and friendly staff. Great variety of coffees available. The food is also praised though pricier than most restaurants, coffees are the real deal here.

Jazz Society Café. The Jazz Society Café is the Cuenca performance venue of the Jazz Society of Ecuador. Reservations on website or by email. Food served by Mother and Son Family Kitchen. Jazz dinners are 16:00-19:00.

La Fornace. A well-known local pizza chain in Cuenca that has three or four branches. The fruit pizza is excellent and quite inexpensive.

Moritas. Nice little cafe which serves yum affordable breakfasts. Much of the food features raspberries in one way or another.

El Mercado. Rustic and yet pretty formal. Think lamb chops and wine. Reservations online.

San Sebas Cafe. Great little cafe with a good atmosphere. Serves breakfast and lunch.

Mujeres con éxito. Cheap and better than average local lunch with a soup, a main dish, a dessert and a drink. Made by women victims of domestic violence (>50% of population in Cuenca). The Mujeres con Éxito association has other activities to support and empower these women.

Drink

La Mesa. Great salsateque on Wednesday nights. Full of locals and extended-stay travellers. Extremely fun.

El Cafecito. Hostel-bar-restaurant. Appears very noisy and uncomfortable as a hotel, but it is a good place to eat lasagna or sandwiches although more expensive than most places. The perfect place to start your night with a few drinks and to then proceed elsewhere.

Sleep

Hostal Villa Del Rosario. Lovely, quiet place, with a mix of rooms to suit all travellers: singles, doubles, double en-suites. Gorgeous little courtyard with garden in the middle of it all; a hummingbird likes to hang out there sometimes! Very cheap, but really clean, and just nice. Towels provided. Lady owner very friendly, but it really helps to speak Spanish! Cuenca is really safe, but even more so in this area - Calle Larga is a block away. Reception is next door, but there is a bell to ring to the left of the main door to get someone to come over - it's hard to spot it, but the bell is there!

La Casa Cuencana. Owned by an Ecuadorian family, this hostel is located in the heart of Cuenca's historic district. Dorms and private rooms available with or without private bathroom. Hostel is quiet enough to get a good night sleep but in the same neighborhood of all the great restaurants and bars.

Hostal Villa Flora. A cheap option in the historic centre. Includes a cafeteria service, a laundry, and cable tv.

Casa Naranja. Features 2 indoor patios, fully equipped kitchen and is 3 blocks from the main square in a safe area. Colonial house with indoor balconies and has single, double, triple and quadruple rooms.

Hostal Yakumama. Hostel run by Swiss siblings a couple of blocks away from Cuenca's main square. The place features an amazing design and also has a very nice restaurant and bar.

Hostal Perla Cuencana. Owned by a local family, the hostel is perfectly located, very central. Clean and comfortable though some might find it bare and old with its creaky wooden floors and uncharming facade. Large rooms with windows and some with balconies (the best are at the back, away from the noise of the street). Free and good Wi-Fi (in the rooms), laundry facilities, communal kitchen (very basic), towels provided, and roof terrace. Great and cheap place. The owner is very helpful and friendly.

Hostal Alternative. Well-run hostel located next to the Pumapungo museum and archaeological site. Relaxed atmosphere, clean rooms and a free to use kitchen. Great escape from the chaos and noise of the downtown bars while still being within walking distance.

Hotel Casa del Aguila. In a picturesque colonial-style building in the Historical center. 17 comfortable rooms with bathroom, distributed in 3 floors.

Hostel Calle Angosta. This place is set back off the road, so it's pretty quiet. You are immediately treated like family, and they will do anything reasonable to help you out. There is parking, and you are about 8 blocks from central park. The water hot and they provide cable TV. While it does lack a little homeyness, it's because the facility is brand new.

Posada del Rio Lodging. Nice hostel in the center of the city with a full kitchen, hot showers 24/7, and the friendliest service in town. Warm, homey, and very centrally located.

Hotel Inca Real: Charming heritage site at General Torres 8-40 between Sucre and Bolivar, behind the new cathedral. Most rooms are large, and all are quiet. All room windows open onto interior courtyards. Three colonial houses joined into one charming hotel. There are three interior courtyards. The first is the hotel lobby and breakfast room, the second has a lovely fountain, and the third is a quiet hideaway.

Hostal Macondo. An old colonial building with a pretty courtyard. Very pretty but simple rooms, quiet, with a self-serve kitchen, free wireless, book exchange, and large DVD library. Very nice hot showers with good pressure.

Hotel Milan. The most affordable nice hotel in town. Located in the center, across from the church and square of San Francisco. Most rooms have a balcony. All have cable TV and hot water. Friendly staff, excellent value.

Mansion Alcazar. Ahh, the pampered life, with antiques and heavy carpets in an old restored mansion. Get your free breakfast here in a formal setting and maybe try a spa afterwards.

Hotel Terra Sur Cuenca. 4 junior suites, 3 one-bedroom suites and 4 two-bedroom suites, a restaurant and a terrace with a city view.

Itza Hotel Boutique. Boutique hotel with 16 rooms located just one block from the main square. Restaurant and a rooftop terrace with a city view.