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Founded in 1557, Cuenca is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities of Ecuador; surrounded by low hills and crossed by 4 rivers, this city maintains its
historical colonial buildings and architecture, with its churches and cathedrals
as very fine examples of a colonial Andean city.
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A UNESCO site since 1999, Cuenca is considered the cultural capital of Ecuador. Its 300.000 inhabitants are known for their traditional values; a society that has produced many composers, writers and poets, Cuenca has managed to integrate all the modern comforts without affecting the small city ambience with its colonial architecture, craftsmanship and cultural traditions. |
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ATIVITIES IN CUENCA |
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Cuenca City Tour
Walking through Cuenca's cobblestone streets, we will visit La Merced church and the flower market, San Sebastian colonial neighborhood, Calderon Park, the blue domed Cathedral, the cañari Ruins of Pumapungo, the beautiful Inca Gardens by the river side with an extraordinary sample of local plants both medicinal and edible, of course the romantic El Barranco with its peaceful river, gardens and “hanging houses” is a must. We will finish the tour with a visit to the Conceptas cloister / museum with its wonderful collection of religious art and finally drive to Turi Hill for a panoramic view of the city.
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Museum Visits
Being a community with a very high regard for the arts and a strong tradition of culture, it is not a surprise to find a total of 13 museums in this small city, with permanent exhibitions of archaeology, ethnography, paintings, sculpture, numismatic, religious and daily use artifacts. Ranging from Inca gardens, to religious art, to 16th century handcrafts, and to contemporary art, Cuenca's museums have something for everyone's tastes.
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TOURS NEARBY CUENCA |
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El Cajas National Park
Astounding scenery only 40 minutes away from Cuenca is the rugged and beautiful El Cajas National Park, with over 200 lakes and ponds formed by the remains of a glacial, it has a total extension of 28,800 hectares with altitudes going from 300 to 4,500m / 984 to 14,764ft above sea level, although most of it is over 3,000m/9,843 ft above sea level. It is home to hummingbirds, partridges, condors, hawks, spectacle bears, white tail deer, tapir, and many other Andean species, surrounded by the typical tundra-like environment of the paramo.
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Ingapirca Incan Ruins
About 1 hour North of Cuenca we find the historical ruins of Ingapirca (Wall of the Inca), the largest archeological ruins in Ecuador. It was originally built by the Cañari indians as a temple and observatory and later expanded by the Inca Huayna Capac tu be used as a resting house for Inca messengers and other travelers going through the Inca Trail, a garrison, a resting place for the emperor and a temple. The most noticeable construction is the ellipse-shaped Coricancha (Temple of the Sun) with perfectly fitting green diorite stone. A small archaeological site-museum will provide more in-depth information of daily life and ceremonies held at Ingapirca.
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