Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Cuenca, Ecuador, America

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Cuenca, Ecuador, America

Cuenca (fully Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca) is the capital city of Azuay Province in Ecuador, situated around 430 km south of the national capital, Quito. Due to the presence of many historical buildings, the heart of Cuenca city was added to UNESCO World Heritage Trust site list.

Geography of Cuenca:

Cuenca is geographically located between 2°53′57″ S latitude and 79°00′55″ W longitude at an elevation of 2,560 meters. It is spread over an area of 67.71 sq. km.

Brief history of Cuenca:

The history of Cuenca dates back to 8060 BC when the first inhabitants settled in Cuenca. The current Cuenca city was formed by the explorer Gil Ramírez Dávalos on April 12, 1557 and was named for Cuenca in Spain.

How to reach Cuenca?

The Mariscal Lamar International Airport serves Cuenca, located 3.5 km away from the downtown Cuenca with flights to and from Quito and Guayaquil. The air operators that serve MLIA are TAME, Línea Aérea Cuencana, LAN Ecuador and AeroGal.

Buses are regular between Cuenca and its neighboring cities and also one can use taxi or rental cars to move within the city and taxis cost $1-2 per trip and $1 is extra at night. Advance booking is offered for tourist’s convenience.

Food and Shopping in Cuenca:

Cuenca is especially noted for flower markets and tourists can also purchase a variety of sweaters, mittens, hats, finger puppets and handmade ruanas in the markets of Cuenca.

List of food corners in Cuenca is:

Mixx Gourmet Ice-cream
Cafe Eucalyptus
Nectar
Women’s Coop
Govinda’s

Things to do in Cuenca:

Shopping
Sightseeing
Walking

Tourist Attractions in Cuenca:

Iglesia de El Sagrario:

Iglesia de El Sagrario or Old Cathedral of Cuenca is a historical identity as well as a major landmark of Cuenca. It was initially constructed in 1557 and restored in 1880. Currently it is used as a museum.

Park Abdon Calderon:

Park Abdon Calderon is situated between old and new cathedrals of Cuenca in the heart of the city. There is municipal office located in the vicinity of the park, beautiful park ideal for all the age people.

Museo del Banco Central and Pumapungo:

Museo del Banco Central and Pumapungo is a museum with different sections including history, culture and ethnography. Ancient site Pumapungo is placed right behind the museum.

Other places of interest near Cuenca include:

El Sagrario
Barranco
Turi
Baños
Monastery of El Carmen de Asuncion
Museum of the Central Bank
Museum of the Aboriginal Cultures
Chordeleg
El Cajas
Azogues
Monastery and Museum of La Concepcion
Municipal Museum Remigio Crespo Toral
Church of Santo Domingo
Molleturo
Gualaceo

Best time to visit Cuenca:

Between June and December is the ideal time to trip Cuenca while dry season runs.

Accommodation options in Cuenca:

There are all the types of hotels located in Cuenca ranging from budget options to star rated hotels. Budget hotels charge $10 for a single room and mid range hotels charge around $30 per night and splurge hotels charge around $50+ per night. The prominent hotels and lodges in Cuenca are as follows: