An Irresistibly Relaxing and Tranquil Escapade in Cuenca

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After a long and tiring day in Quito, it’s best for you to experience how Ecuador can still be so laid back despite the hustling development going on every single day.

With its surreal colonial beauty, well-tended streets and the sheer peace observed in every existing corner, Cuenca is a place snatched straight out of a postcard.

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Be in touch with the locals and admire their innate joy in welcoming visitors and experience the entire Cuenca adventure with serenity and joy. With lots of stunning views and places to visit, there will be no instance when you’ll think that this town is boring and bland.

Location

Known as the capital of the illustrious province of Azuay, Cuenca can be immediately spotted on the map at Ecuador’s southern outer region.

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Specifically, Cuenca is positioned in the sierra of the Andes, a good nine-hour distance from Quito and four hours away from Guayaquil. The whole city spans a total of 27.25 square miles and is inhabited by almost 400,000 residents according to the 2015 count.

Climate

Due to its placement in the Andes range, Cuenca has the same climate classification as its neighboring provinces and cities, which is the subtropical highland type.

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Luckily for visitors, you’ll never find it difficult to adjust as the weather is generally mild all year round. In an annual scale, the daily avearage temperature is at 14.7 degrees Celsius with 179 rainy days.

Transportation

If you wish to have more structured knowledge about how commuting is in Cuenca, it’s best for you to visit www.cuencatransit.com for up-to-date schedules, routes and bus pricing. Technically, the whole of Cuenca leans on its Terminal Terrestre, which is a good 20 -minute distance from the city center for bus trips within the whole town or to neighboring places such as Riobamba, Machala and Loja.

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When coming in by air, the terminal where you’ll disembark is at Aeropuerto Mariscal Lamar, which serves airlines such as AeroGal, LAN Ecuador, TAME and Linea Aerea Cuencana.

What to See

Plaza de San Sebastian

Rub elbows with locals going about their daily routines and observe how the city of Cuenca moves just by sitting at the famous Plaza de San Sebastian.

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It was built in 1739 and used to be a place for bullfights, adding more color to it despite its meager physique and silence. Be delighted by how the colonial architecture is preserved at this park, showcasing bits of historical events that transpired within its boundaries.

El Sagrario

The well-revered El Sagrario has been present ever since the city of Cuenca was formed in 1557. Marvel at the whitewashed facade mixed with the novelty brought about by careful restorations.

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Now, El Sagrario also goes by the moniker ‘old church’ and is used by locals as a recital hall and a religious museum.

Parque Calderon

Adjacent to the divinity of El Sagrario is a place where you can see sit back, relax and take in all of Cuenca’s visual beauty.

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One trivia that Parque Calderon has is that it’s been used as a triangulation point to measure the shape of the Earth in the La Condamine expedition in 1739.

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Images:

(1) http://www.livethelifeinecuador.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/new-slide3.jpg
(2) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Ecuador_cajas_national_park.jpg
(3) https://ecuadorvacation.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/map.jpg
(4) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kpkvSfS0KZ13z-qRw87wuoWGVgIHOdSRZnvSIoRA8-XFKiwBMbdXXI7Eev_zxm27FNktou9efcTp2Zs1pNVN0Np-cTFaYmh5RaTWBaSafQuVx6jSHwviVdQkcc7JcCkzMWtb5qWgR0gt/s1600/DSC00389.JPG
(5) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPwYXm4S7CBWxeUcZyTgXn70k8KQXYf7qTqUM7MBdE0iih9a5rXFNnD0Ef9fSpps-e4ynjDEYxWkxjYN8egDTEk4i7Zu8U_eDgUfSelMRC700wh8ob9fb3_CDCxW81n-h2gr4f7Bw-ak3/s1600/IMG_1718.JPG
(6) http://www.cuyabenolodge.com/ecuador/cuenca/cuenca_ecuador_san_sebastian_church.jpg
(7) http://www.cuyabenolodge.com/ecuador/cuenca/catedral_vieja_sagrario_cuenca_ecuador.jpg
(8) http://3f94861483447d6d25e9-5f7f026d59533253898ece523e63951b.r27.cf1.rackcdn.com/8/2/large.jpg