Cuenca
A colonial grid in a high Andean basin, its blue cathedral domes rising over four rivers and the remains of the Inca city of Tomebamba.
- Arrival
- Mariscal Lamar · CUE
- To the city
- About 2 km from the old town
- Private jets
- Daytime hours; no customs
- Best time
- May to February
The city
Four rivers and a Renaissance grid.
Cuenca was laid out by the Spanish on the plan Charles V prescribed for his new towns, and the grid has held for some four hundred years; UNESCO inscribed the centre in 1999. Quinine and woven straw hats made the town rich in the nineteenth century, and the Plaza Mayor still sets two cathedrals face to face, the old one and the vast new one begun in 1885.
At about 2,500 metres the afternoons stay near 20 °C all year. March and April are the wettest months; the rest of the year rain is moderate, so the season is long. Below the old town runs the Tomebamba, one of the four rivers that water the valley.
- New Cathedral Begun in 1885 on the Plaza Mayor, its blue domes the landmark of the skyline.
- Pumapungo The Puma Gate, the excavated core of the Inca town of Tomebamba, inside the modern city.
- Todos Santos A site where Cañari, Inca and Spanish walls stand one upon another.
Arriving
A city-centre runway in the Andes.
Mariscal Lamar sits inside the city, about 2 km from the old town, at some 2,530 m. Its single runway of about 1,900 m is short for the altitude, and the airport opens from 06:00 to 21:30.
- Bogotá 1 h 40
- Lima 1 h 40
- Mexico City 4 h 35
- San Francisco 8 h 30 long-range jet
- Frankfurt 13 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
May to February.
Highs barely move, 19 to 22 °C through the year. March and April are the wet months, with up to about 100 mm; July and August are the driest, near 40 mm, and the rest of the year is moderate.
- 21° J 56
- 21° F 65
- 21° M 87
- 20° A 103
- 20° M 77
- 19° J 62
- 19° J 42
- 19° A 39
- 20° S 52
- 21° O 80
- 22° N 74
- 21° D 66
Where to stay
By the Tomebamba.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Where to book in Cuenca.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Ecuador. Both tables were placed among the country’s 20 best restaurants in the Premios Summum 2025.
- El Mercado Premios Summum 2025, third in Ecuador Contemporary Ecuadorian $$$$ Calle Larga, historic centre
- Tiestos Premios Summum 2025, top 20 in Ecuador Ecuadorian $$$$ Historic centre
Elsewhere in Ecuador
More reasons to come.
Flying to Cuenca?
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