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Overview
Cuenca’s Historic Downtown is a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural site, and when you visit here you will understand why this is. The town is quite simply beautiful. The architecture will wow visitors, and it demonstrates the Renaissance period quite splendidly. Travelers to Cuenca can wander the cobble streets, take in churches, museums and markets and find fine souvenirs and gifts in Ecuador’s third largest city.
The city was founded in the year 1557. Cuenca was built following some strict planning guidelines that had been dictated some 30 years earlier by Charles V, the Spanish king of the time. The architecture has been well preserved until the current day, though the city did evolve during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Cuenca’s Historic Downtown is known in particular for its large number of churches, which can be found everywhere. There are 52 churches in total. The best ones to go and see are Cathedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion (the “new” cathedral) and El Sagrario (the “old” cathedral). These can be found in the central park area.
The historic center of Cuenca is built on a grid, as most Spanish cities were. This makes the city easy to navigate for the traveler. From the very well-kept central park and churches, the visitor can wander the streets and easily find other sites of interest, such as the 10 de Agosto market, flower markets, museums and more.
Cuenca is a popular tourist destination in Ecuador and as such has a large variety of services for travelers within the historic center. There are hotels to suit all budgets from very low, to luxury travelers. There are some excellent restaurants with cuisines from all over the world. A few of Ecuador’s excellent Spanish schools are located here. One thing that Cuenca is a little short on for a city of such a size is a lively nightlife. This town is a quiet place to kick back for a few days, rather than a party place.
The architecture will wow visitors, and it demonstrates the Renaissance period quite splendidly...
Highlights
Cathedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion – this building in Cuenca’s historic downtown is the subject of many photographs, due to its great beauty. The domes are the most commonly photographed—they are a sky blue color. This church is the newer of the two cathedrals in the city and dominates the main square. It was built in 1885. The centerpiece inside is a giant gold altar.
El Sagrario – this church is right across from the Cathedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion. These days it has a museum, though there are none of the items you’d commonly find in a church, such as an altar or pews. Still, it is worth a peek inside, especially to see the catacombs, which are home to a number of skulls.
Pumapungo Museum – this museum is located next to an Inca city that was named Tomebamba. It is also known as “Central Bank Museum”. The museum holds some interesting exhibits such as an ethnographic exhibit which explains cultural aspects of different Ecuadorian peoples. There is also a religious art section and some items that were excavated from the Tomebamba archaeological site.
Mirador Turi – not to be missed in Cuenca is the view that can be taken in from Mirador Turi, to the south of the city. The view allows for an amazing look out over the surrounding city. Mirador Turi is atop a steep hill and is located right in front of a church. This is an excellent place for people watching, and one of the best times to come here is at sunset. There are binoculars for those who want a better view of the surrounds.
Flower markets – among the pretty historic streets of Cuenca there are also colorful flower markets. Flowers are cheap in Ecuador, and here you can pick up all kinds of varieties. The contrast between the flowers and the churches makes for the perfect photo opportunity. Buy flowers for yourself or for a friend.
Panama Hats – Cuenca is the outlet for several Panama hat stores. Here it is possible to find all different kinds of quality of Panama hat. The best kind to buy are the sort that if you scrunch them up, or roll them up to put in a tube, they bounce back to their original shape. Buying cheap will not get you a Panama hat that does that, but either way you will still have a nice souvenir. There are also outlets that will show you how your Panama hat gets made.
Getting There
To get to Cuenca from Quito, travelers can take a bus from the Quitumbe terminal to the south of Quito, or alternatively take a flight. A bus will take approximately 10 hours, and a flight will shave more than nine hours off that journey time. TAME flies to Cuenca several times per day.
For those taking a bus, to get to Quitumbe, they need to take a taxi directly to the terminal, a journey of half an hour at a cost of $10 or so, or alternatively take the Trolebus to its final stop and alighting for the terminal. The cost of this route is $0.25. This journey on the Trole will take approximately one hour, or in a taxi, about half an hour, depending on from where in Quito the person is traveling.
The cost of the bus journey to Cuenca is around $10 and takes from eight to ten hours. There are a number of different companies that have buses heading to Cuenca. The flight to Cuenca will set the traveler back around $80, one way, and takes approximately 45 minutes. On arriving to the city, either by bus or by airplane, it is possible to take a taxi from the airport or bus terminal to the historic center.
