Citytour Cuenca – day trip
With an English-speaking guide we visit the most beautiful places in Cuenca. In the morning we go to the famous cathedral and explore the colonial city center. We visit the panoramic point of Turi, where we get a beautiful view of the city. Then we will visit a workshop of the famous Panama hats and the Plaza Rotary, known for its wide range of artisans. In the afternoon we will visit the Pumapungo Museum, known for its tsantsas. These are shrunken heads of the enemies of the Amazonian Shuar warriors. The guide will be happy to adapt the visit to your interests and preferences.
City tour Cuenca – half day
With an English-speaking guide we visit the most beautiful places in the city. We walk through the San Sebastian district and visit the most beautiful squares, streets and small churches. We make a stop at the Museum of Modern Art and then continue to a workshop where the famous Panama hats are made. We visit the Turi panorama point where we have a beautiful view of the city and then return to the hotel. The guide will be happy to adapt the visit to your interests and preferences.
Cajas National Park
We leave Cuenca in the morning and first visit the lower areas of the National Park, called Llaviucu, which are about 3200 meters above sea level. We walk here for about an hour and a half before we move to the higher area. This is where one of the most beautiful and largest lakes in the park, called La Toreadora, has its source. The Polylepis or paper tree grows on the shores of this lake. We walk here for about two hours and a half and then retreat to civilization for lunch in a restaurant that offers typical dishes of the region.
Difficulty: easy – moderate.
Bring along: sun and rain protection, camera, water, warm clothing and sturdy walking shoes.
Inca ruins of Ingapirca
In the morning the guide will pick you up at the hotel. We drive a little north to the province of Cañar where Ingapirca is located. Ingapirca, “Wall of the Inca” in Quichua, is the best preserved remnant of Inca culture in the Ecuadorian Andes. It is a good example of the architecture of the time but also of the Inca culture in general. Depending on the day on which we travel, we combine this excursion with a visit to the weavers of Biblian, the market of Azogues or the market of Cañar. After lunch we drive back to Cuenca. On the way we pay a short visit to the famous Biblian church.
Difficulty: easy.
To bring: sun and rain protection, water, warm clothing and a camera.
Giron waterfall
Giron’s waterfall is one of the most beautiful spots in the region. A car picks you up in the morning and takes you south to the small, picturesque village of Giron. In this subtropical area we walk to the waterfall. Then we continue for another two hours to a second waterfall. Along the way we enjoy nature and we get an explanation about the plants and the birds. We eat a nice local meal and then return to the hotel.
Difficulty: easy.
To bring: sun and rain protection, bathing suit, water, camera and sports clothing and shoes.
Gualaceo and Chordeleg
In the morning a car picks us up at the hotel. After a half hour drive we arrive in the subtropical valley in which the town of Gualaceo is located. The town is known for its artesanacy, its folklore and the beautiful river that flows through it. First of all, we pay a visit to a family that makes beautiful textile work. After this, we will visit Ecuador’s largest orchid garden and then continue to Chordeleg, known for its fine jewelry and precious metal forging. We have a delicious lunch in a local restaurant and in the afternoon we visit a workshop where guitars are made before returning to the hotel.
To bring: sun and rain protection, camera and water.
Birdwatching – Cajas National Park
About 150 different bird species live in the Cajas National Park. During this tour we can view about 45 of them. Around 6:00 am a car picks us up and takes us to the lower part of the park. Here we can spot about thirty birds, including the Mask Trogon and the gray-breasted Mountain Toucan. Then we move to the higher part. Here we can view about fifteen species, including the endemic hummingbird, the Tit-like-Dacnis and many others.
Bring along: protection from the sun and rain, warm clothing, camera, binoculars and good walking shoes.
Birdwatching – the valley of Yunguilla
A car picks us up at the hotel around 6:00 in the morning. First we drive to the Parque Paraiso in Cuenca itself where we will already see some local birds. Then we continue to the southeast to the valley of Yunguilla. In this valley we can spot bird species that live in both the higher areas and the subtropical areas. Such as the Golden-Olive Woodpecker, the Loja Hummingbird, the Peruvian Pygmy Owl etc.
Bring along: protection from the sun and rain, warm clothing, camera, binoculars and good walking shoes.
Saraguro: visit to indigenous village
About a two-hour drive from Cuenca is the region of the Saraguros, a proud indigenous community of the Andes, recognizable by its black and white patterned hats. On Sunday we visit the very nice market of Saraguro and then we head into the mountains towards the Gera community. Here we get an explanation of the daily life of the farmers and residents. We cook together with a family and make a local dish with products from the area that we may have harvested ourselves. After this delicious meal we return to Cuenca.
Difficulty: easy.
To bring: sun and rain protection, camera, water and comfortable shoes.
I am Tom from Belgium and I have been living in Ecuador for more than 10 years. I got my guiding diploma here. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion. Together with the travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland.