Guide to Cuenca, Ecuador, Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca was our second favourite city of all the ones we visited in South America, and in total, we only spent 21 days there (compared to 41 days in Buenos Aires and 43 in聽Lima), which felt about right for us.
As the third largest city in Ecuador (Guayaquil and Quito come in first and second, respectively), it鈥檚 not full of big name sights or monuments to tick off a list, but is large enough to have a lively buzz.
The central square of Cuenca is notable for its gorgeous cathedral, which took almost 100 years to be finally completed in 1975. It is the blue domes on top of this cathedral which are the icon of Cuenca you鈥檒l see everywhere, and views from the plaza are quite striking.
One of the things we appreciated most about Cuenca was its many open, green, pedestrian-only spaces, and probably our favourite, and most frequented one, was the walk way (Avenida Tres de Noviembre) along the north side of the river Tomebamba, the river that flows through the centre of Cuenca. Taking a walk along the river between the university (in the west) and the Central Bank (in the east) affords some great views of the city鈥檚 colonial architecture, most notably the Barranco (meaning canyon or ravine) with old buildings built out over the hillside facing the river. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
As the third largest city in Ecuador (Guayaquil and Quito come in first and second, respectively), it鈥檚 not full of big name sights or monuments to tick off a list, but is large enough to have a lively buzz.
The central square of Cuenca is notable for its gorgeous cathedral, which took almost 100 years to be finally completed in 1975. It is the blue domes on top of this cathedral which are the icon of Cuenca you鈥檒l see everywhere, and views from the plaza are quite striking.
One of the things we appreciated most about Cuenca was its many open, green, pedestrian-only spaces, and probably our favourite, and most frequented one, was the walk way (Avenida Tres de Noviembre) along the north side of the river Tomebamba, the river that flows through the centre of Cuenca. Taking a walk along the river between the university (in the west) and the Central Bank (in the east) affords some great views of the city鈥檚 colonial architecture, most notably the Barranco (meaning canyon or ravine) with old buildings built out over the hillside facing the river. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).
How it works: The full article is featured in the app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Download the app to your mobile device to read the article offline and create a self-guided walking tour to visit the sights featured in this article. The app's navigation functions guide you from one sight to the next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
Sights Featured in This Article
Guide Name: Guide to Cuenca, Ecuador
Guide Location: Ecuador » Cuenca
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Sam Wood
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
Guide Location: Ecuador » Cuenca
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Sam Wood
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
- Parque Abd贸n Calder贸n
- Museum of Modern Art
- Piedra de Agua Hot Springs and Spa
- Barranco鈥檚 Panama Hat Museum
- Mercado de Artesan铆as Rotary
The Most Popular Cities
/ view all