Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca is a city in southern Ecuador in Azuay Province and the administrative centre of the region. It was founded by the Spanish as Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca on April 12, 1557 and is noted for its large, well-preserved colonial historic centre.

The compact historic centre features grid streets, multiple plazas and dozens of churches set along the Tomebamba river; the area is pedestrian-friendly and often explored on foot. The city is also known for artisanal crafts, particularly handwoven straw hats commonly exported as “Panama” hats, and for its museums and riverside promenades.

Spanish colonial authorities established the modern city in the mid-16th century on the site of earlier indigenous and Inca settlements. Over subsequent centuries the city grew as an administrative and religious centre; much of the visible architecture dates from the 17th to 19th centuries and the centre retained its historic layout into the 20th century.

Cuenca sits in the southern Andean highlands at roughly 2,500-2,600 metres elevation. It lies in the inter-Andean valley about 300 km south of Quito and about 200 km southeast of Guayaquil, surrounded by Andean ridges and highland páramo to the west.

• UNESCO status: Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 for its intact colonial urban fabric and bridges over the Tomebamba river.
• Best viewpoint: El Turi viewpoint on a hill to the south gives panoramic views across the historic centre and surrounding Andean valleys, best at sunrise or sunset.

What to See #

• Historic Centre: Historic core of the city centred on cobblestone streets, colonial churches and plazas; the area was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 for its well-preserved 16th- to 19th-century architecture.
• New Cathedral (Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción): The cathedral formally known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, notable for its three large blue domes and prominent location beside the Tomebamba river.
• Museo Pumapungo: A museum and archaeological site that includes Inca-era foundations exposed beneath the museum, ethnographic collections and regional archaeological displays.
• El Cajas National Park: Green highland area west of the city popular for day trips, with páramo landscapes, high-altitude lakes and hiking trails around 3,100-4,400 metres above sea level.
• Rivers and Parks: A series of small rivers and parks, including the Tomebamba riverfront and Calderón Park, which define the historic grid and provide riverside promenades.