2025 Cuenca Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in July)

#AbsolutelyFreeTrip Cuenca is a city at an altitude of 2,560m. Even though it is on the equator, it is a relatively comfortable place to live in Ecuador. The cityscape built during the Spanish colonial period is registered as a World Heritage Site as the "Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Rios Cuenca."

📍 Itinerary Overview 🚩 Sightseeing Route 🏖️ Must-Visit Attractions 🚇 Transportation 📷 Photo Spots 🍜 Local Cuisine 🏠 Accommodation 💡 Tips

We entered Ecuador, the 40th country in our round-the-world trip. As soon as we arrived at the first stop, Cuenca, we loved it very much! Ecuador means the country of the equator in Spanish, but Cuenca belongs to the Andes Mountains, with an altitude of 2,500 meters. It is spring-like all year round and is cool and pleasant. It has the same name as the Spanish city of Cuenca. It is an ancient Inca city rebuilt by Spanish colonists in 1557. It is also listed as a cultural heritage city by UNESCO. Cuenca is called the second Cusco by many people. After we came here, we felt that Cuenca was cleaner, more comfortable and livable than Cusco, and a little more beautiful. The most attractive thing among tourists in Cuenca’s old town is the New Church. The church combines Baroque, Renaissance and Romanesque architectural features, and its blue and white dome is particularly eye-catching. November 3rd is Cuenca’s Independence Day. It is a more important festival than the Day of the Dead. There are many parades, street performances, food streets, art exhibitions, etc. every day. Although I have not been to the Day of the Dead in Mexico, I still enjoy it in Cuenca. After an Independence Day, it was quite unique. I always feel that what makes us fall in love with a city is not only the scenery, but also the people here. Whether it is the crowds of people celebrating carnivally during festivals, the shy children performing on the street, or our sofa hosts, Brother Jia’s family from Henan, it is their enthusiasm that shortens the distance between people and makes a city more beautiful. Lively and lovely.