Our Partners!
We have partnered with some of the best hotels, restaurants, services, and vendors in Cuenca!
Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla
The Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla is a primary cultural destination in the historic center dedicated to the history and artistry of the iconic Panama hat. Located in a refurbished colonial building that houses an active workshop, the museum allows visitors to observe the entire traditional manufacturing process from the initial weaving of the paja toquilla fiber to the final blocking and shaping. The space functions as both a gallery and a retail outlet, featuring a vast collection of hats in various styles and grades of fineness along with historical photographs that document the industry’s impact on Cuenca. It provides an immersive look at a craft that is recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage while offering guests the opportunity to see master artisans at work. |
Arugula Vegana
A standout destination in the Cuenca food scene, this restaurant is known for its innovative approach to plant-based dining. The menu features creative transformations of traditional Ecuadorian flavors into plant-based masterpieces, served in a welcoming atmosphere. |
Negroni Rooftop Bar
A premier destination in the Historic Center, this rooftop setting provides incredible panoramic views of the city and the iconic blue domes of the New Cathedral. The sophisticated and modern atmosphere makes it an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and evening gatherings. The experience features a high quality international menu, professional service, and a vibrant energy. |
Comer Sanar Vivir
A highly regarded destination for health conscious diners in Cuenca, this restaurant specializes in creative plant based and gluten free cuisine. The environment is tranquil and welcoming, providing a peaceful oasis for a mindful meal. The experience highlights artistic dish presentation and high quality, organic, locally sourced ingredients. |
Café Ñucallacta
An essential stop for coffee enthusiasts, this artisan roaster prepares premium Ecuadorian beans across four distinct roast levels. The menu features a dedicated selection of vegan options, including Vegan Rancheros, plantain waffles, and breakfast burritos. Expertly crafted espresso drinks are available with oat or almond milk, alongside a rotating selection of plant based treats like oatmeal cookies, brownies, and seasonal fruit pies. This cozy, library filled café provides a welcoming atmosphere where high quality local coffee and a diverse vegan friendly menu come together. |
Pumapongo Museum
A premier cultural destination in Cuenca, this museum offers a comprehensive journey through Ecuador’s diverse history and heritage. The extensive ethnographic collections include traditional costumes, ceremonial masks, and shrunken heads of the Shuar people. The experience extends to an expansive archaeological park with preserved stone foundations and terraced fields of the ancient Incan city of Tomebamba. The grounds also feature a lush ethnobotanical garden with hundreds of native plant species, providing a blend of archaeology and nature in the heart of the city. |
Terra Cotta Rooftop Bar
A standout destination in Cuenca, this rooftop offers stunning 360 degree views of the Historic Center and the iconic blue domes of the cathedral. The vibrant and stylish atmosphere transitions from a relaxed dining spot in the afternoon to a lively social hub with music in the evenings. The menu features creative twists on Ecuadorian and international cuisine, complemented by an extensive bar selection and high quality cocktails perfect for sunset drinks or a sophisticated night out. |
Mercado 10 De Agosto
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A vibrant cultural landmark on Calle Larga, this market offers an immersive look into daily life in Cuenca. The main floor features an incredible variety of fresh local produce, ranging from exotic fruits to organic vegetables. The building is clean and organized, with beautiful stained glass windows and colorful murals. Upstairs, a bustling food court provides a wide array of authentic and affordable local flavors, while the market also serves as a hub for traditional herbal cleansings performed by local healers. |
Cuenca City Tour
Operating distinctive red double decker buses, this tour departs from Plaza de San Sebastián and Parque Calderón to provide a comprehensive loop of historical and natural landmarks. A major highlight is the Turi viewpoint, where the bus climbs to a high ridge for the most iconic panoramic views of the Cuenca skyline and the surrounding mountains. The tour includes key stops such as the New Cathedral and Pumapungo Museum, with bilingual narration in Spanish and English while traveling along the Tomebamba River and through colonial neighborhoods. |
Piedra De Agua
A premier subterranean thermal spa and wellness center in the Baños area of Cuenca, this destination features modern facilities integrated into a natural volcanic landscape. The luxury circuit includes red and blue limestone mud baths, thermal pools of varying temperatures, and steam rooms built directly into the rock. The experience highlights the therapeutic properties of natural volcanic waters through treatments designed for relaxation and rejuvenation in a serene, architecturally unique setting. The estate also features an on site restaurant and private massage therapies, providing a comprehensive wellness experience focused on the geological beauty of the local environment. |
Jardin Del Valle
A premier destination in the Yunguilla Valley, this expansive estate offers a tropical escape defined by lush gardens and a warmer, lower altitude climate. The property features walking trails through diverse native flora, birdwatching opportunities, and refreshing outdoor pools set against a backdrop of dramatic mountain ridges. Known for its tranquil atmosphere and scenic views, the experience provides a perfect blend of nature and relaxation. The location is also ideal for nighttime stargazing, where clear skies provide an unobstructed view of the stars within the fertile beauty of the valley. |
Reserva Yunguilla
A premier conservation area in the dry forest of the Yunguilla Valley, this sanctuary is managed by the Fundación Jocotoco and specifically established to protect the critically endangered Pale headed Brushfinch. This vital destination for birdwatchers features a well maintained trail system through unique deciduous and semi deciduous forest habitats. The reserve is home to diverse avian life, including the Rainbow Starfrontlet, Amazilia Hummingbird, and Chestnut crowned Antpitta, providing a peaceful environment for observing rare and endemic species within a major biodiversity hotspot. |
The Cacao Spirit
The Cacao Spirit is an Ecuadorian bean to bar chocolate brand that focuses on biodiversity and the conservation of the Cacao Nacional variety. The company sources its beans from smallholder polycultures where cacao grows alongside tropical fruits like bananas and oranges which naturally infuses the chocolate with unique floral and fruity notes without added essences. Their mission is deeply tied to environmental protection and supporting local farmers against industrial mining and monocultures. The brand is strictly vegan and soy free and uses only cacao and cane sugar as base ingredients for their high percentage dark chocolate bars. They are also known for their collaboration with Wikiri Sapoparque using their packaging to feature and support the conservation of endemic Ecuadorian amphibians. |
Cementerio Patrimonial
The Cementerio Patrimonial de Cuenca serves as a significant historical and architectural landmark that reflects the cultural evolution of the city since its establishment in the late nineteenth century. This expansive site features a diverse collection of ornate marble mausoleums and neoclassical sculptures alongside traditional stacked burial niches that create a unique visual record of local heritage and social history. Visitors can walk through landscaped gardens and quiet corridors to admire the intricate craftsmanship of the monuments while learning about the prominent Ecuadorian figures buried within the grounds. |
Additional Area Attractions - Cuenca
Centro interamericano de Artes Populares
The Centro Interamericano de Artes Populares is the premier institution for folk art and traditional craftsmanship in Cuenca located in a historic building along the Tomebamba River. It features high quality rotating exhibitions of traditional and contemporary crafts from across Latin America serving as a major cultural hub dedicated to preserving regional artistic heritage. The estate includes a specialized shop offering curated artisanal works and frequently hosts workshops that allow for a deeper engagement with living traditions. This sophisticated environment provides a peaceful setting for those interested in the technical and cultural roots of Andean art while offering views of the river. |
Mercado de Artesanias Rotary
Mercado de Artesanias Rotary is the city’s central hub for authentic traditional crafts providing a more rugged and local market experience compared to the central tourist plazas. It is best known for an extensive selection of traditional woodworking ranging from functional kitchen utensils to handcrafted furniture as well as a wide variety of hand woven basketry and pottery. This open air market offers a non touristy atmosphere where visitors can observe the daily trade of local makers and find unique wrought iron garden decor and regional household goods. |
Municipal Museum of Modern Art
The Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno is housed in a restored colonial building in the San Sebastián neighborhood that previously served as a temperance house and a prison. The museum features a permanent collection of over six hundred modern and contemporary works of art along with rotating exhibits showcasing photography painting and sculpture from across Ecuador. Visitors can explore multiple galleries and tranquil courtyards while experiencing one of the most important cultural spaces for contemporary art in the region. |
E. Vega Galeria
The Eduardo Vega Galería is the workshop and gallery of Ecuador’s most renowned ceramicist located on the hill of Turi overlooking the city of Cuenca. This destination showcases a significant collection of fine ceramic art including hand painted murals and functional pieces that incorporate traditional Andean motifs and local landscapes. Visitors can explore the retail space and sometimes view the production area where these internationally recognized works are crafted into unique home decor and tableware. The gallery provides a sophisticated artistic experience combined with panoramic views of the surrounding valley. |
Centro Municipal Artesanal Arts & Crafts
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The Centro Municipal Artesanal also known as the Casa de la Mujer is a dedicated artisan center that provides a centralized boutique environment for high quality local products in the heart of the historic district. This facility features dozens of individual shops across two floors specializing in hand embroidered textiles jewelry leather goods and traditional clothing produced by local artisans. Many makers can be seen working on their crafts in person allowing visitors to observe the intricate production of straw hats wood carvings and paintings in a comfortable indoor setting. The center serves as a vital platform for fair trade and the promotion of Cuenca’s diverse artisanal identity while offering a convenient one stop destination for regional souvenirs. |
Museum of Aboriginal Cultures
The Museo de las Culturas Aborígenes houses a massive private collection of archaeological pieces tracing the artistic history of the pre Columbian inhabitants of Ecuador. The permanent exhibit follows a geographic and thematic presentation of indigenous materials including stone ceramics shells bones metals and textiles as well as ceremonial and decorative objects and sculptures. This collection provides a deep dive into the evolution of regional craftsmanship long before the arrival of the Incas and is located in a historic house with a quiet interior garden. The museum also features one of the best gift shops in the city for visitors looking for unique and authentic historical replicas. |
Additional Area Attractions - Regional
Ingapirca
Ingapirca is the most significant and well preserved Incan archaeological site in Ecuador, famously featuring the Temple of the Sun, an elliptical structure built with finely carved green andesite stones that align with the solstices. Located in the Cañar province, the complex uniquely blends Incan imperial architecture with the earlier circular lunar constructions of the indigenous Cañari people, illustrating a complex history of conquest and cultural integration. Visitors can explore a vast network of ritual baths, storage chambers, and ancient dwellings connected by the Qhapaq Ñan road system while taking in the high altitude Andean scenery. The site serves as a vital cultural landmark that offers deep insight into the astronomical knowledge and engineering prowess of the pre-Columbian civilizations that once inhabited the southern highlands |
Gualaceo/Chordeleg
Gualaceo and Chordeleg are neighboring artisan towns in the Azuay province that showcase the rich handicraft traditions of the Ecuadorian highlands. Gualaceo is celebrated for its preservation of the pre-Columbian ikat weaving technique where artisans in the village of Bulcay use backstrap looms and natural plant dyes to create intricate macana shawls made of pure cotton. In contrast Chordeleg is world renowned for its exquisite gold and silver filigree jewelry which is crafted entirely from precious metals without the use of any animal products. Visitors can explore local markets and workshops to observe these time honored processes firsthand while enjoying the scenic riverfront of the Santa Barbara River and the colonial charm of the mountain valleys. The region serves as a vital cultural hub where the craftsmanship of the Cañari and Spanish colonial influences continue to thrive through the dedicated work of local families. |
Cajas National Park
Cajas National Park is a high altitude wilderness that offers a mystical escape into the Andean highlands where jagged peaks meet hundreds of crystalline glacial lagoons. This protected landscape is famous for its ethereal paper tree forests and vast stretches of spongy páramo that create a scenery reminiscent of a fairytale world. You go to explore ancient Incan trade routes that still wind through the valleys and to stand at the continental divide where the waters begin their journey to separate oceans. It is a premier destination for those seeking profound silence and the chance to spot rare wildlife like the giant hummingbird or the Andean condor soaring above the mist. Whether you are navigating the mossy lakeside trails or capturing the reflection of the mountains in the still water, the park provides an immersive encounter with the raw and untouched beauty of the southern Andes. |
Las Aguas Risas
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Las Aguas Risas (Laughing Waters) is a certified veganic permaculture intentional community and forest reserve located in the high Amazon rainforest near Limón Indanza. This hundred hectare property serves as a dedicated sanctuary for reforestation where degraded pastureland is being transformed into a diverse fruit forest and native habitat. You go to experience a lifestyle rooted in non violence and minimal invasive impact where every aspect of daily life from the food grown to the care of resident animals is strictly plant based. Visitors can immerse themselves in the tranquility of the jungle by hiking to private waterfalls and streams or participating in sustainable land stewardship projects that prioritize the protection of Pachamama. The community provides a unique opportunity for those seeking a peaceful and non exploitative environment to reconnect with nature and live in alignment with deep ecological and vegan values. |