Cuenca: A little corner of Europe

By Connected Horizons

Ecuador might not be like Europe but after spending a while in Cuenca this could change your mind. The city’s modern vibe features a great night life backdrop, a great variety of activities for any liking and nothing but an architecturally gorgeous historical centre listed in as a UNESCO heritage site. Not a bad place to spend the weekend!



During our stay in Cuenca, wandering around the city felt like being in Quito but at a much more manageable size especially at a tourism level. Everywhere we went or did, it seemed like everything was already set up to welcome the random tourist; whether be a shop, church, mirador or even hostel: we were always overwhelmed by the great job the city was doing to make us feel welcomed.

Most people visit Cuenca for its well-known historical centre and how could you go wrong? Every cathedral, plaza, museum, alley etc… are simply a pleasure to walk past and visit at your own pace. A good way to see the city is also to join the morning (10.30am) Free Walking Tour leaving from the main park (Parque Calderon) from Tuesday to Saturday. But if you really wanna see the city in all its beauty, make sure to climb up to the Mirador Turi to get an awesome view over the city rooftops!

Local markets are also a great way to see the city under a different perspective (not to talk about getting some cheap shopping done!). Around the city centre there are several and apart from being super safe and full of opportunities for some good ol’ street-photography, you’ll have the chance to to buy anything from papayas to whole pigs.

Should you be in town Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays heading to the Mercado 10 de Agosto to see the traditional “soul cleansing” procedures (mostly for newborns, kids or old people) is a must. Old women “whipping” people with camomile flowers, then rubbing them with an egg and finish up by spitting on them with alcohol is definitely an unforgettable yet interesting thing to see!

Heading to the thermal baths in the small city of Baños (not to be confounded with Baños de Agua Santa) its also a nice way to spend an afternoon. A full circuit can be pricey (35$/pp) but you can always opt for the simple entrance which only includes a couple of baths and pools for just 6$/pp.

As last, if you’re looking for some hiking, the nearby Parque las Cajas is nice (but very muddy and humid) spot to get your legs walking. Although getting there can be a done by taking any of the morning buses heading to Naranjal, on the way be ready for some long waits on the side of the road due to buses heading back to Cuenca not being many. Inside the Park there are a great variety of paths ranging from a 1-2 hours to 2-3 days, with the most common one being around the Laguna Toreadora: short and nice!

One of the beautiful streets of city center

Transport

Contrairly to other big cities, the Terminal Terrestre (bus terminal) of Cuenca is located just on the outskirts of the city centre (just 6-7 blocks) so moving around by foot is a great viable option.

On top of that, the current system of buses called “movilizate” working with a single rechargeable transport card, is a great way to go pretty much everywhere at the small fare of 0.30$/trip. But great news are not finished! The card, which can be used for more than one person, has a price of 1.75$ but tourist can get that back by giving in the card at the end of their stay. Great uh!

Need any more reasons to go?


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