Cuenca (Ecuador) Travel Guide
Travel to Cuenca (Ecuador) - UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ecuador's most beautiful colonial city
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Ecuador’s most beautiful city, Cuenca, enjoys a mild climate and a fabulous geographic position. Cuenca has the placid atmosphere of a small city, both deeply religious and artistic, which fascinates the visitor. The beauty of its landscape combined with the harmony between old and modern architecture, has prompted, UNESCO to name Ecuador’s third largest city, a World Cultural Heritage Site.
Cuenca’s cobblestone streets, graceful balconies, blossoming gardens and religious art treasures invite you to visit it, on foot and at a leisurely pace. Enjoy the warmth and hospitality of its people, the colorful parks and plazas, religious monuments and handcraft shops.
The region of Cuenca was inhabited over nine thousand years ago. The Cañari people settled here due to its favorable climate, abundant water and ideal land for cultivation. Extraordinary pieces of ceramic of this period, notable for their design and technique, can be found in the museums.
In the middle of the 15th century, the Incas came to this area and founded the city they called Tomebamba and a few years later, in 1557, the Spanish claimed the city and renamed it Cuenca. Houses stretch down the slopes along the Tomebamba, one of the four rivers that cross Cuenca, whose banks are covered with multicolored laundry under the riverside willows and linden trees.
Attractions in Cuenca (Ecuador)
There are many fascinating places to see in and around Cuenca including the historical centre, many churches and museums, Turi Hill, the impressive Cajas Lake District, the subtropical valleys of Paute, Gualaceo and Yunguilla, or the village markets of Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Sigsig.
Visitors can also take in a workshop where Panama straw hats of the best quality are made.
The most important place of interest, however, are the legendary Inca ruins of Ingapirca.
Activities in Cuenca (Ecuador)
There are many activities that can be enjoyed in and around Cuenca. Ask our recommended local Travel Experts for more details.
Relaxing
Take a stroll around the old town on a Friday or Saturday evening, when the colonial buildings are beautifully illuminated before eating in one of Cuenca’s small restaurants with live music and excellent cuisine.
Getting Around
Taxis are the best way to get around and they are inexpensive.
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