Cuenca Travel Guide

Introduction

442km (275 miles) S of Quito; 250km (155 miles) SE of Guayaquil; 254km (158 miles) S of Riobamba

Cuenca is Ecuador's third-largest city, but it feels more like a charming old-world town, with cobblestone streets and a rich collection of colonial-era churches, plazas, and buildings. A good deal of the city's colonial architecture remains intact -- Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before the Spanish arrived here, Cuenca was the second largest city in the Inca empire (after Cusco). The foundations of former Inca palaces became foundations for the city's churches and government buildings. Amazingly, when the Incas conquered the area, in the late 1400s, the Cañari had already been living here for centuries. The Incas -- not unlike what the Spanish would eventually do -- used stones from the Cañari structures to build their temples and palaces. Several excellent museums here are dedicated to the city's rich and varied past. The Museo del Banco Central sits right next to...