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Just like the four rivers that flow through its heart, culture courses through this southern Andean gem of a city. As a visitor, one is immediately impressed by the Cuencanos’ love for culture in all its myriad forms — from history and archaeology, music and dance, language and lore, literature and gastronomy, to architecture and arts-and-crafts — and irresistibly swept up by its hospitable people and their pride for their city.
Cuenca invites you to delve into its pre-Incan, Incan and Colonial past, discover its French influences and unearth its Republican intellectual prowess. It’s impossible not to be charmed by the city’s bustling street life, tree-lined riverbanks, intriguing museums, markets, crafts and artisans, Panama hat factories, and wonderful heritage houses — and impressed by its proud present of characterful hotels, innovative restaurants and inviting rooftop bars.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1999, today Cuenca is a melting pot of indigenous, mestizo and international cultures and trends.
Tucked into the mountains of the southern Ecuadorian Andes, Ecuador’s third-largest city is also the ideal base from which to enjoy adventures in nature and culture on every cardinal point, including El Cajas National Park, Gualaceo and Chordeleg, Saraguro, and the Ingapirca Archaeological Complex.
Connectivity also helps travelers explore Cuenca. There are daily, 30-minute flights to and from Quito as well as frequent flights connecting Guayaquil on the coast.
TALK TO A DESTINATION EXPERT
Diego Zapata
Rosa Mena
Sandy Lara
Diego Zapata
Rosa Mena
Sandy Lara
Of course, Cuenca isn’t a new destination for us — we’ve been sharing it with our guests for decades. But, in our post-pandemic world, we believe mainland Ecuador has a huge amount to offer today’s traveler, who wants to wander the streets, learn about crafts, taste different flavors, hear new sounds, explore the great outdoors, and create connections with local people and their fascinating, intriguing lives and livelihoods.
Eager to design experiences that fulfill those desires, we carried out various scouting trips to Cuenca and other regions this year — and will continue to do so in the coming months.
We returned spellbound by Cuenca’s unique charm and can’t wait for your clients to delight in its wonders, too.
Our scouting team exploring Cuenca
New Discoveries, New Itineraries
With our scouting and evaluation processes completed, we are pleased and proud to share a raft of new, memorable journeys in Cuenca and its surrounding region, which can be combined in different ways over several days, and personalized with the help of our Destination Experts and on-the-ground teams. In particular, we’re very excited about the full-day community tour to the Andean town of Saraguro and the in-depth cultural encounter it offers.
Our full-day itineraries are designed to provide a harmonious balance between visits, learning, active time and breaks, so that each excursion can be enjoyed to the fullest by a range of explorers.
Responsible Stewards
Ever conscious of our commitment to people and planet, we have sought to maximize our positive impact on local communities and small businesses, while also offsetting our entire operations’ emissions through our carbon neutral program in Ecuador’s biodiverse tropical forests.
“We firmly believe Cuenca is a fascinating destination whose cultural riches deserve to be explored with time, in all their grandeur. It should, without doubt, be part of every Ecuador itinerary.
We’re delighted to share it with you, and excited to welcome adventurers from around the world to discover its deep history and fascinating present, and feel part of its citizens’ everyday lives.”
Paulina Burbano de Lara, CEO
Watch our teaser video
Javier Garcia
Eduardo Silva
Carolina Escobar
START PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Javier Garcia
Eduardo Silva
Carolina Escobar
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