Cajas National Park
Hike among glacial lakes at 4,000 metres.
Overview
Why visit Cuenca
Cuenca sits at 2,560 metres in the southern Andes, a city of cobbled lanes, flower markets and carved balconies that earned UNESCO World Heritage status for its intact colonial centre. The twin blue domes of the New Cathedral dominate the skyline.
Four rivers thread the city, and the Tomebamba's grassy banks are where Cuencanos stroll, picnic and cycle. The markets brim with roses and orchids, the craft stalls sell toquilla 'Panama' hats — an Ecuadorian invention named for the canal workers who bought them — and pumapungo ruins sit inside the city.
The surrounding mountains deliver the day trips: Cajas National Park's 200+ glacial lakes an hour away, the Inca ruins of Ingapirca — Ecuador's most important — to the north, and the artisan towns of Gualaceo and Chordeleg famous for silver filigree and weavings.
Things to do
Top things to book in Cuenca
Popular tours and tickets. Compare prices and book ahead to skip the lines.
Ingapirca Ruins
Ecuador's biggest Inca site with a guide.
Colonial Cuenca Walk
Cathedral domes, flower market and riverwalk.
Gualaceo & Chordeleg
Silver filigree and weaving in the artisan towns.
Plan your trip
Compare prices for Cuenca
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Fun facts
Things you didn't know about Cuenca
- 01
Panama Hats Are Ecuadorian
The toquilla straw hat was made in Ecuador for centuries — canal workers made 'Panama' the name stick.
- 02
A City Of Rivers
Four rivers — Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machángara — all meet inside the city.
- 03
Blue Domes
The New Cathedral's blue-and-white domes, covered in Czech tile, took a century to finish.
- 04
An Inca Site In Town
The Pumapungo ruins in the city centre were once Huayna Capac's palace complex.
- 05
200 Glacial Lakes
Cajas National Park's high plateau is scattered with over 200 lakes an hour from town.
- 06
Ecuador'S Ingap Rca
Ingapirca, the country's biggest Inca ruins, has a perfectly elliptical Temple of the Sun.
- 07
The Retirees' Favourite
Cuenca repeatedly tops lists of the world's best places to retire for its climate and cost.
- 08
A City Of Artisans
Neighbouring Chordeleg and Gualaceo are centres of silver filigree, ceramics and ikat weaving.
- 09
The Flower Market
Plaza de las Flores beside the cathedral sells roses and orchids grown in the valley.
- 10
A Name To Remember
The full name is Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca — Saint Anne of the Four Rivers.
Random Cuenca fact
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FAQ
Quick answers about Cuenca
Where is Cuenca located?
Cuenca is in Ecuador, in South America.
What is the population of Cuenca?
The greater Cuenca area is home to about 600,000 people.
What is Cuenca famous for?
Ecuador's most beautiful colonial city drifts along the Tomebamba river beneath blue cathedral domes — and it's where the Panama hat was actually born.
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