Itineraries
Where to stay
The historic center around Parque Calderón for first-timers on foot; the Tomebamba riverside for quieter streets near Pumapungo; El Vado for crafts.
The areas: Historic center, Tomebamba riverside, El Vado.
Where to stay in Cuenca: areas and adviceHotels in CuencaPlaces to see
All things to do in EcuadorFoodCasa del ParqueA gourmet food center facing Parque Calderón, recommended by Ecuador's tourism ministry for dinner.Entry: Pay as you go
MuseumHomero Ortega hat museumA Panama hat factory with a three-room museum on how toquilla straw hats are woven and finished.Entry: Free guided visits
NatureLaguna Toreadora, Cajas National ParkA páramo lagoon in Cajas National Park with the park's visitor center, trails and a restaurant.Entry: Free to visit; register at the control post
TransportMariscal Lamar AirportCuenca's airport, about 55 min by air from Quito and 35 min from Guayaquil.Entry: Free to visit
MarketMercado 10 de AgostoA market of 650 stalls opened in 1954, with food counters serving hornado, llapingachos and mote.Entry: Pay as you go
ViewpointMirador de TuriThe viewpoint at Turi, named by Ecuador's tourism ministry as the official lookout over Cuenca.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumMuseo Remigio Crespo ToralThe municipal city museum in a poet's former house on Calle Larga, home to Cuenca's historical archive.Entry: Free to visit
ChurchOld Cathedral (El Sagrario)The older of the two cathedrals on Parque Calderón, part of the UNESCO-listed historic center.Entry: $[fee]
NeighborhoodParque Abdón CalderónCuenca's main square, where the Old and New cathedrals face each other beside the town hall and courts.Entry: Free to visit
RuinsPumapungoArchaeological site at the east end of the old town, included in the UNESCO-listed historic center.Entry: $[fee]
NeighborhoodTomebamba riversideThe riverbank below the old town, lined with 18th and 19th-century mansions above the Tomebamba river.Entry: Free to visit