Places / South America / Ecuador
Cuenca
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At a glance
- Country
- Ecuador
- Region
- Azuay Province
- Population
- 400,000
- Best time to go
- June to September
- Main airport
- Mariscal Lamar (CUE)
- Coordinates
- 2.90°S, 79.01°W
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Overview
Cuenca is Ecuador's most beautiful colonial city, a UNESCO-listed old town of cobbled streets, wrought-iron balconies and churches, set beside the Tomebamba river at about 2,500 metres.
It's calm, safe-feeling and cultured, with good museums and cafés, and many visitors end up staying longer than planned. The lakes of Cajas National Park and Ecuador's main Inca ruins are within easy reach.
Things to see
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 New Cathedral
A huge brick cathedral with sky-blue tiled domes that dominate the skyline.
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Photo: Angel Vázquez, CC BY-SA 3.0 Parque Calderón
The main square, shaded by tall trees between the old and new cathedrals.
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Photo: Emiligista, CC BY-SA 4.0 Pumapungo
A museum and the excavated remains of an Inca settlement, with gardens and llamas.
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Photo: Martín Vasco, CC BY-SA 4.0 Banks of the Tomebamba
Colonial houses perched above the river, with riverside paths below.
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Photo: Dr.bb8, CC BY-SA 4.0 Flower market
A small daily flower market beside the Carmen church on the main square.
Things to do
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Photo: Hex, CC BY-SA 3.0 See Panama hats being made
The so-called Panama hat is actually from Ecuador; visit a workshop to see them woven and finished.
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Photo: Delphine Ménard ( notafish }<';> ), CC BY-SA 2.0 fr Hike in Cajas National Park
High moorland dotted with hundreds of lakes, under an hour's drive west.
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Photo: Delphine Ménard, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr Day trip to Ingapirca
Ecuador's largest Inca site, with a curved Temple of the Sun, a couple of hours north.
Find tours -
Photo: Arabsalam, CC BY 4.0 Mirador de Turi
A hilltop viewpoint south of the city, best at dusk when the domes light up.
Where to stay
Historic centre
Colonial hotels close to the squares, cafés and churches.
Hotels in Historic centreAlong the Tomebamba
Quieter hotels with river views, a short walk to the centre.
Hotels in Along the Tomebamba
Getting around
The centre is walkable, and a tram line and plentiful taxis serve the rest of the city.
The airport is inside the city, about ten minutes by taxi from the centre; coaches from Guayaquil cross the Cajas mountains in around four hours.
When to go
June to September is drier, though nights are cool year-round. Early November brings the city's independence celebrations, and the Pase del Niño parade fills the streets on Christmas Eve.
Plan your trip to Cuenca
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.