Nestled in the southern part of Ecuador, Cuenca is an extremely picturesque city that embodies South American charm and vibrancy. My husband and I spent four nights there and easily could have stayed longer. It is clear why Cuenca is one of the most popular cities in Ecuador (for both tourists and immigrants), and I am excited to share this gem of a city with you!

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What to See and Do in Cuenca

Explore the Old Town

One of the best ways to familiarise yourself with a new city is to explore on foot. I encourage you to wander aimlessly through the narrow pathways, and see what treasures you discover. Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to catch a live performance or exhibition courtesy of the city’s vibrant arts and culture scene. The city hosts a variety of festivals, music concerts, and dance performances throughout the year, such as the Festival of Folklore and Culture, held every year in August.

The city centre of Cuenca is very compact and contains a lot of museums, art galleries, markets and well-preserved colonial buildings.  The most beautiful building is indisputably Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción. This is one of my favourite cathedrals of all time, and trust me, I’ve seen a lot!

The cathedral has many of the typical characteristics of a beautiful cathedral with its elegant domes and arches, and intricate details. There’s an interesting mishmash of styles including Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque Revival. However what really stood out for me is its stained glass windows. I am a sucker for stained glass at the best of times, but these were especially charming. They contain images of animals and plants that Ecuador is famous for, such as roses, orchids, hummingbirds and toucans. 

The cathedral is surprisingly international. It was designed by Juan Bautista Stiehle, a German-born friar who moved to Cuenca in 1873. On its roof are three gigantic domes, covered in blue and white tiles from former Czechoslovakia. The gorgeous stained glass windows were created by Mexican artist Guillermo Larrazábal, and the pink marble floors were made in Carrara, Italy. As they say, teamwork makes the dream work! You can pay to go up a viewing tower for impressive views over the city. It’s a bit tricky to find as you can’t access the tower from inside the building, you have to enter from outside the cathedral through a side door.   

Top Tip! If you don’t want to pay to go up the cathedral’s viewing tower, there is a completely free viewing tower in La Libertad Park, less than 20 minutes’ walk away. Take the lift eight floors up and enjoy fantastic views across Cuenca, and the mountains that surround it. 

Visit the Ethnographic Art Museum

Cuenca has very unpredictable weather (when we were there, we had heavy rain, sunshine, blue sky and clouds within a one-hour period!) so it’s good to have some indoor activities in mind. Pumapungo is an ethnographic and art museum which contains exhibits on Ecuadorian history and culture, including artefacts from the Inca civilization and a collection of gold and silver objects from the country’s colonial era.

The museum is free to enter and has a mix of items on display, including pretty embroidery, old coins, miniatures of different civilisations from past eras and eerie tzantzas (shrunken heads) from the Shuar culture of the southern Oriente. Next to the Pumapungo museum are the Ruinas de Pumapungo (well-preserved archeological ruins from the Inca period). During our visit they were unfortunately closed to the public, but have since reopened. 

Browse the City’s Many Markets

Cuenca is a fantastic shopping destination, especially if you want to find something unique and handmade. The artisanal markets are a haven for handcrafted goods, with many local artists showcasing their work in galleries and workshops across the city. CEMUART (Centro Municipal de Artesanias) is an artisanal market where you can buy handmade pottery, jewellery, hats, handicrafts, woven items and decorations for the home. Many of the vendors at CEMUART are from indigenous towns around Cuenca. 

Pamper Yourself at Piedra de Agua Spa

As backpackers, my husband and I rarely experience much luxury on our travels so I was excited to hear about a world-renowned spa in Baños, a town known for its thermal baths just 30 minutes’ drive from Cuenca. Piedra de agua Spa has excellent reviews and is often recommended to people living in or visiting Cuenca. They provide a wide range of treatments and do special 2-for-1 offers mid-week. 

We chose the Termal Subterrane package ($60 for two people). The offer included relaxing in an outdoor Japanese onsen pool, then entering an underground cave with various pools built in the cave walls. We exfoliated our bodies with red grey, moisturized with grey clay, alternated hot and ice cold pool plunges, exfoliated with rock salt and coffee grounds, and lastly chilled in the outside pool with a complimentary glass of champagne, served on an adorable teeny surfboard!

The staff were very polite and tried their best to help us in English. It was great value for money; we paid only $30 per person and our skin felt super soft afterwards! There was also a cocktail menu and food menu we could have ordered from. When we were sufficiently pampered, the staff booked us a taxi to take us back to Cuenca.

• Getting there: Taxis cost $4-5 each way from Cuenca city centre.
• Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 8 am–10 pm. Sundays 8 am–9pm

People-watch in the Parks and Plazas

As the sun sets, Cuenca comes alive with a vibrant atmosphere ideal for evening strolls. The main square is Parque Calderón, an excellent place to enjoy the sights and sounds of Cuenca. The park is surrounded by beautiful buildings, including the cathedral and Iglesia del Sagrario (Cuenca’s old cathedral which is now a museum of religious art). 

The city comes alive in the evenings, creating a safe and inviting atmosphere. I had no concerns about walking around Cuenca holding my phone and camera. Just exercise the normal caution you do in a city; be sensible with your belongings and aware of your surroundings. 

What to Eat and Drink in Cuenca

Cuenca has a fantastic variety of restaurants, from cosy and casual to elegant fine dining. You can find lots of authentic Ecuadorian food, along with other cuisines (influenced by the large number of immigrants who have settled in Cuenca). We tried some of the local specialities like the delicious hornado (slow-roasted pork) at Mercado 3 De Noviembre and mote pillo (corn and eggs). We debated whether we should try cuy (roasted guinea pig) but ultimately decided against it as it is an expensive dish and we read a lot of mixed reviews. 

You will also find some excellent coffee shops and cafes there; two of Ecuador’s main exports are coffee and cocoa and the Ecuadorians know how to make a delicious chocolate cake and prepare the perfect brew. 

Some of my personal recommendations:

• Los Sanduches de Dona Piedad: The unassuming pork sandwiches from this casual eatery are bursting with flavour. We followed another customer’s recommendation and got ours with coconut milk. They are also really cheap; we ordered three sandwiches and two soft drinks for $7.50.
• Raymipampa: We liked trying the local dishes here; Bandja Cuencana (grilled pork, puffed corn, broad beans, sausage, morcilla, fried corn with egg, sheep’s cheese and plantain) and Seco de Chivo (goat cooked in red wine, with rice, avocado and plantain). As we were there close to Easter, we were able to try the seasonal Fanesca soup. It contains 12 types of beans and grains (symbolising the twelve apostles of Jesus) along with a surprising concoction of peas, beans, plantain, salt cod and hard boiled eggs.
• El Calamar: We really enjoyed our meal here, made all the more special by the really friendly waitress who made us feel right at home! We had calamari (very fresh and crisp) with chips and spicy mayo, prawns in a garlic tomato sauce (with bread to mop it up) and a delicious portion of bread and butter pudding with vanilla icecream and chocolate sauce.
• Golden Prague Pub: This gastro pub does a good Happy Hour (3-6pm daily) where you can enjoy three beers for the price of two. There is an international food menu and free Wi-Fi.
• Panadera Cuatro Rios: We got fresh pastries every morning for breakfast from here. Their chocolate croissants are particularly great! 
• Los Hotdogs de la Tropical: Tasty snacks at seriously low prices. They are known for their $1 chicken hot dogs, with a mayonnaise sauce and optional onions (I recommend with!). Their coconut drink is also delicious and only costs $0.60 per glass.

If you want to pick up some snacks while you’re on the go, Cuenca has some great food markets, full of mouth-watering, locally-grown produce. Mercado 3 De Noviembre was our favourite; I could have stood watching these vendors and their colourful produce for hours. Everything looked so tantalising, inviting and fresh! Mercado 3 De Noviembre is very well-organised; fruit, vegetables, meat and fish vendors on the ground level and food vendors selling freshly-cooked meals on the second level.

Getting around Cuenca

It’s a very compact, walkable city so you can reach most places on foot. If you want to use taxis, you won’t have a problem flagging one down and they are very affordable (just a couple of dollars per journey). Uber and Lyft don’t operate here unfortunately. There are also city buses and trams that you may want to use if you stay outside the city centre. 

Whether you’re interested in history, culture, art or shopping, you’re sure to find plenty of things to see and do in this vibrant city. Three or four nights would be the ideal length of time to explore the city and surrounding areas, but you may be so charmed you find it hard to leave!

Spending more time in Ecuador? Check out my other Ecuador blog posts to help you plan an unforgettable trip!

Ciao for now

Izzie, the Curious Sparrow