Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Cuenca

Cuenca has an all year round spring-like climate with an average temperature of 20°C.  Most days have a sunny morning but there may be rain in the afternoon. Feb-Apr are the wettest and cloudiest months, Jun-Aug the driest.

For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.

The main language spoken in Buenos Aires is Spanish.

Ecuador uses the US dollar. There are a number of banks in Cuenca. Notes can be withdrawn from ATMs using a UK credit or debit card.

The time difference between Cuenca and the UK is GMT -5 hours.

The Avenue of the Volcanoes, 250 km to Riobamba (3.5 hrs by road); the port of Guayaquil, 175 km (2 hrs 40mins by road).

Average flight time is 13 hrs. There are no direct flights from the UK to Ecuador, popular routes to Quito involve a change of plane in Amsterdam, Paris or Madrid.

Bienal de Cuenca:   Biennial painting competition and exhibition for three months Apr or Nov, odd years. Holy Week: Good Friday procession through Cuenca.
Septenario:  Religious festival prior to Corpus Christi, with masses, fireworks and balloons.
Dia de Independencia: Cuenca 3 Nov, along with All Saints and Souls days on 1-2 Nov  combines to create a three-day holiday with markets, music, dancing and parades. 
Pase del Niño Viajero:  Christmas Eve children’s costume parade.