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Things to Do in Cuenca

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Cuenca Travel Guide

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Things to Do in Cuenca

Parque Calderón, a nice place to relax - Cuenca
Parque Calderón, a nice place to relax
by richiecdisc
Reviews and photos of Cuenca attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Cuenca sightseeing.
Local Time 3:43 am Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Museao Pumapungo
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  • Updated By richiecdisc on March 17, 2008
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  • ugly? True but you'll need some time to explore - Cuenca
    ugly? True but you'll need
    some time to explore
    by richiecdisc
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    Museo Pumapungo is not only Cuenca’s main museum but it’s also one of Ecuador’s top ones as well. This natural history museum is extensive and you will need a few hours to properly have a look. Most people come solely to check out the huge ethnology exhibit that takes up an entire floor but there are lots of other interesting displays like dioramas of traditional costumes of Ecuador’s diverse cultural groups. Of course, the kids (and most adults too!) will love the shrunken heads that harrowingly finish up your tour. It’s three big bucks to get in and while expensive compared to what you pay for a room or food, it’s well money well spent.

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  • Address: Calle Larga near Huayna
  • Directions: At the far southeast corner of town. It's a bit of a walk but an interesting one.

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    Visit a Straw Hat Factory
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  • Updated By calcaf38 on October 14, 2007
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  • Cuenca Things To Do
    by calcaf38, 4 more photos
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    Cuenca is the world center for what is called, inaccurately, the "Panama Hat." A few remaining old-fashioned factories offer tours, where you will be told about the famous Montecristi straw; how the straw is boiled;how women weave it and sell the half-finished hats to the manufacturer; how hats are graded in quality, then pressed and whitened. It is all quite fascinating, in a fast-disappearing way. I imagine the visit is similar to that of a cigar factory in Cuba. I visited the Barranco workshop (Rafael Paredes e Hijos Cia Ltda). There was no pressure to buy a hat at the end, but you should tip your guide. There is a lovely view of the river from the top of the workshop. My visit was much more interesting from having read "The Panama Hat Trail" by Tom Miller beforehand.

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  • Directions: Calle Larga, between Padre Aguirre and Torres

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    Catedral de la Inmaculata Concepción
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  • Updated By richiecdisc on March 17, 2008
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  • the blue domes on a very blue day - Cuenca
    the blue domes on a very blue
    day
    by richiecdisc, 4 more photos
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    Parque Calderón’s focal point is Catedral de la Inmaculata Concepción is the newer of the square’s two but its two blue domes have become the city’s hallmark symbol. Ironically, they can barely be seen from the park as they were meant to play second and third fiddle to the proposed bell tower that was not built due to poor architectural planning and are thus at the rear of the structure! This cost the city it having the largest cathedral in South America. At any rate, the massive church whose austere marble interior took nearly 80 years to complete from its 1885 start date has beautiful stained glass windows and is particularly compelling during an evening service.

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  • Directions: On the east side of the famous central square.

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    Plaza San Blas
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  • Updated By richiecdisc on March 16, 2008
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  • the very pleasant Plaza San Blas - Cuenca
    the very pleasant Plaza San
    Blas
    by richiecdisc, 2 more photos
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    Plaza San Blas is an afterthought for many Cuenca visitors but since we stumbled upon a great fruit salad/shake stand right on the square it became a personal favorite. The church itself was impressive mostly due to size but from afar it did beckon us to have a closer look. Some things are better from a distance and that is the case with this monstrous structure built in the form of a cross. That might be a good shot from a balloon! The plaza itself is quite pleasant and the view of it is best from the fruit stand, sipping on a freshly squeezed orange juice.

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  • Directions: On the eastern edge of the Old Town.

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    Shrunken Heads!!
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  • By namastedc on March 9, 2005
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  • Real Shrunken Head - Cuenca
    Real Shrunken Head
    by namastedc
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    To see real shrunken heads, pay a visit to the Museo del Banco Central (Central Bank Museum). To get there, just walk to the river that passes through the city, and head to the left (assuming you are on the side of the river where the central square and the cathedral are located.) Most maps will have this museum on them. Also there are various print and sculpture arts, and a great archeological dig. Various animals are in cages, and Llamas or alpacas roam freely. Open Monday to Friday. 9:00am - 6:00pm, and Saturdays from 9:00am - 1:00pm

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  • Address: Calle Larga and Huayna Capac
  • Phone: 2831225

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    Parque Calderón
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  • By richiecdisc on March 16, 2008
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  • Parque Calderón, a nice place to relax - Cuenca
    Parque Calderón, a nice place
    to relax
    by richiecdisc
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    As with most Spanish influenced colonial cities, Cuenca is dominated by plazas or squares, the most impressive of which is Parque Calderón. This lovely park is not as meticulously landscaped as some and has a certain natural aura about it with some large pine trees sprouting wildly in the middle. Don’t get me wrong, this is no wild jungle and is a city park through and through but for a showpiece park it’s not as tame as most. What is nice about it compared to Cusco or to a lesser degree even Quito, no one bothers you if you sit down to soak up the scenery. No shoe shine boys in this park and personally I found that kind of relaxing like I was on vacation rather than guard.

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  • Address: Bolivar & Benigno Malo
  • Directions: This IS the center of the center. If you miss this, you have a very bad sense of direction.

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    Museo de Arte Moderno
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  • By calcaf38 on October 13, 2007
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  • Cuenca Things To Do
    by calcaf38, 3 more photos
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    Situated on Plaza San Sebastián, this museum has a great collection of contemporary Ecuadorian art. Some of the pieces are derivative, but not exploitatively so. Some others are just too funny, like the sculpture with the googly eyes. Cuenca is a tiring place to visit, with lots of walking, traffic, emotions, and the altitude. The Museo is a perfect spot to catch your breath.

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    Cuenca's balconies
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  • By richiecdisc on March 16, 2008
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  • flowers and baclonies go together - Cuenca
    flowers and baclonies go
    together
    by richiecdisc, 4 more photos
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    If there is one thing that really distinguishes Cuenca it’s the numerous balconies that dot the old town center. They are likely the thing you will remember most vividly when you think back on your pleasant strolls through the city. Some are made of iron, others carved meticulously of wood but generally speaking they are intricate and add a true Spanish flair to the already colorful buildings that wall the narrow streets.

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    Plaza San Sebastian
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  • By richiecdisc on March 16, 2008
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  • on a grey day, San Sebastian Church - Cuenca
    on a grey day, San
    Sebastian Church
    by richiecdisc
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    Oddly enough we did not get to Plaza San Sebastian until our last day in Cuenca. While most visitors would rank it second only to Parque Calderón, as mentioned previously we got stuck in Plaza San Blas a few times and hence our late “discovery” of this quiet square that heralds one of the city’s oldest churches that dates back to the 17th century. It is most infamous for the murder of a member of the French geodesic expedition. And no, they were not mad about their using another plaza’s church for their measurements; he was thought to have had an affair with a local woman.

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  • Directions: On the western edge of the Old Town.

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    El Sagrario
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  • Updated By richiecdisc on March 17, 2008
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  • one of Cuenca's oldest churches - Cuenca
    one of Cuenca's oldest
    churches
    by richiecdisc
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    Parque Calderón’s “other” and older cathedral is known as El Sagrario. It dates back to the city’s founding in 1557 and is in fact set on ancient Incan foundations. It was utilized as one of the three triangular measurements to determine the Earth’s shape by a French geodesic expedition in the 1700s. The Pope’s arrival in 1985 got it a major renovation but it still pales in comparison to its huge if flawed big brother across the square.

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  • Directions: On the east side of the main plaza.

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    Overview
         		General Tips
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    Restaurants
    Tips: 25 - Photos: 19    		Hotels and Accommodations
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    Things To Do
    Tips: 65 - Photos: 58    		Nightlife
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    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 6 - Photos: 6    		Tourist Traps
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    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 7 - Photos: 6    		Transportation
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    Local Customs
    Tips: 2 - Photos: 2    		Packing Lists
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    Shopping
    Tips: 14 - Photos: 12    		Sports Travel
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    Flights
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