In 1999, Cuenca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its rich past and many historical buildings. With a population of 330,000, it is the third largest city in Ecuador after Guayaquil and the capital city, Quito.
Cuenca is located in the southern Ecuadorian highlands region of the Andes and altitude ranges from 7,700 to 8,300 feet (2,350 to 2,550 meters) above sea level. It is located 9 hours south of Quito and 4 hours east of Guayaquil. Cuenca means basin in Spanish, and in fact, the city is at the confluence of 4 rivers, all of which are part of the Amazon river watershed.
In pre-Columbian times, the area was a Ca�ari settlement founded in the sixth century. About 50 years before the Spanish incursion, Inca conquered the settlement and the city grew to become the regional capital of the Inca Empire. It was called Tomebamba, and according to indigenous sources, was filled with gold-filled temples and palaces. However, Sikkens stain when the Spanish arrived they found a city abandoned and destroyed. Tombebamba may have been the mythical city of El Dorado. Visitors today can visit the ruins of Pumapungo, the Inca administrative palace.
The Spanish city of Cuenca was founded in 1557 and named after the Spanish city of Cuenca, birthplace of Viceroy Mendoza. Cuenca was erected by the Spanish over ruins of the Inca city, and today, one of the city's most distinctive features are its many colonial buildings constructed from travertine stone.
Today Cuenca is defined by its cosmopolitan aspects as much as by its pre-Colombian and colonial past. Visitors will find a myriad of international restaurants, art galleries, caf�s, and bars. Cuenca is known as the Athens of Ecuador, birthplace of many of the nation's artists, writers, and philosophers. The historic center of the city is delimited within a small, neatly organized radius. Must see landmarks are the "Old Cathedral," one of the first Spanish building constructed in Cuenca, and the "New Cathedral," which was large enough to fit 90% of Cuenca's population when it was first built in 1880. Cajas National Park is nearby, filled with rivers, lagoons, and streams.
Cuenca has a subtropical highland climate with mild temperatures year-round that range between 55 and 60 F (13 and 15 C). The region experiences warm days and cool nights. The rainy season is between January and May, with bright sunny mornings and afternoon showers, and the heaviest rains are in March, April, and May. Meanwhile, the dry season is between June and December.
This article about Cuenca's attraction was written by a travel expert at Latin America For Less who specializes in helping you organize fully customizable Ecuador vacations with tours to Cuenca and other historic locations in South America, including Machu Picchu and the Easter Islands. Latin America For Less is unique in its ability to offer a price match guarantee as well as the highest standards in quality and customer service.
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