Cuenca: The City Beautiful

Destination: Cuenca, Ecuador

"Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca is set in a wide green valley crossed by four rivers. Known anciently as both “the plain as wide as the sky” and “the place where the stars pour forth from the heavens”, this area was first settled more than 9,000 years ago by the Cañari people. When the Incas arrived here in the mid-15th century, they founded a city called Tomebamba. Renamed by the victorious Spaniards in 1557, Cuenca became a city of red tiled roofs, cobbled streets, colonial mansions and shady plazas. The city’s centerpiece is a massive blue-domed Catedral Nueva.

In the 19th century, the city flourished as a major exporter of “Panama” hats and quinine. In 1999, Cuenca was honored by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Today, visitors are enchanted by the city’s outdoor markets, museums, and boutique hotels.

The surrounding countryside is punctuated by charming Andean towns. Gualaceo, located about 20 miles to the east, feels like a miniature Cuenca. This sleepy settlement comes alive on Sundays, when it hosts a traditional market. Just south of Gualaceo is the village of Chordeleg, known for its gold- and silversmiths.

Thirty miles to the north of Cuenca stands Ecuador’s most impressive Inca complex. Ingapirca was an important cermonial center for both the Cañari and the Incas. The site includes a finely joined Temple of the Sun, dwellings, plazas, a calendar stone, and a small museum.

In the mountainous region west of Cuenca, the cloud-kissed Cajas National Park protects more than 232 glacier lakes. The park is ideal for hiking and day trips. Visitors can explore caves, walk along lakeside paths, and observe wildlife in the cool Polylepis forests.

"

Contact Info.:
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Phone: (800) 364-4359
Pan American Travel Services
320 E. 900 S.
SLC, UT 84111 USA