Overview

Cuenca, set in the southern sierras at 2,550m, is a quintessential Spanish colonial city. It has the cobbled streets, leafy plazas, baroque churches and whitewashed façades with heavy wooden doors that you’d expect, but the pale-stoned centre is particularly beautiful.

This university town is also a centre for artisan work, notably the panama hat, which originated here, but also ceramics, basket ware, jewellery and ponchos. A quiet, somewhat conservative place, it is the tranquil base for a number of language schools; foreign students can be spied indulging in the many cake shops and cafés. Outside town in the lake-dotted moorlands of the southern sierras is the lovely Cajas National Park.

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Where to go when - our guide to Cuenca

Cuenca

The weather in Cuenca is wide and varied

The culturally rich colonial city of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits at an altitude of 2550m at the southern end of the famed Avenue of Volcanoes. Ecuador’s prettiest city enjoys year round spring-like temperature of around 20°C, although nights are considerably cooler due to the altitude and there are of course some hotter days. The driest months, when there is only ever occasional light afternoon rain, are June-August. The long sunny blue sky days of these months are perfect for exploring the city’s flowery plazas, beautiful churches and narrow cobbled streets. Mid Feb to Apr is the wettest time, but during the rest of the wet season mornings can still be sunny, although gathering cloud and rain in the afternoon should be expected.

View our Cuenca weather guide

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    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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