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Ecuador Tours and Travel

Tours in Cuenca and Southern Andes of Ecuador

Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca is located on an interandean valley on Southern Ecuador (441 km south of Quito), at an elevation of 2.535 m.a.s.l. It enjoys a typically warm weather, with an average temperature of 17°C. Its population is of approximately 400.000 inhabitants and its surface area is of 15.730 hectares.

It was founded in 1557 under the command of the Viceroy of Peru, Mr. Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza. The peculiar features of its soil and the circumstances of later gradual miscegenation printed a unique idiosyncrasy on its inhabitants, who were carving and forging the actual Cuenca over the years: it is the economical and cultural center of a rich area of Ecuador, an Andean and tropical country at the same time, characterized by contrasts and wonders. Many years before, Cuenca was the Inca city of Tomebamba, considered homeland of Inca Huayna-Cápac, it was built over the place believed to be Guapondelig once, which was a city of the Cañari nation who inhabited the central area of present Ecuador.
Cuenca is also considered as the third city of the country, after Quito and Guayaquil, which are the cities where the political and economical powers of the country are settled. Its condition of average size city, almost Franciscan and still conventual in comparison with the former cities, is another factor that contributes to have each visitor promising to return or, even better, they decide to stay and live here, since the city has the latest technology concerning information and electronics, a good financial and banking system, cybercafés, bars, discotheques, modern hotel infrastructure, restaurants of all kinds, etc. It is also considered the cultural capital of the country, with many events going on during the year and with many artisans working in the city and surrounding area.

On December 1, 1999 the UNESCO decided to include the Historical Center of Cuenca on the list of World Heritage Assets.However, Cuenca is not limited to its historical center only, which is a collection of tangible as well as intangible heritage.

Suggested Basic Cuenca Package For Cultural Highlights

* roundtrip airport transfers
* full day city tour (group tours on Tues., Thurs., Sat., min. of 2 people)
* full day tour to Gualaceo and Chordeleg (group tours on Fri., Sun.) or Ingapirca and Canari Culture (group tours on Wed., Fri. or Sun.) or Devil's Nose Train + Ingapirca (group tours on Wed., Fri. or Sun., min. of 2 people) or El Cajas National Park
* 3 nights hotel, including breakfast and wireless internet

2010 Prices per person in US$ with group tours (We can quote with private tours)

add $3 fee for Gualaceo and Chordeleg
add $6 fee for Ingapirca
add $35 + $15 fee for Devil's Nose Train + Ingapirca
add $10 fee for El Cajas National Park

Cuenca City Tour

Private, Any Day, Half Day, Shared Basis, Tue/Thu/Sat, 3 Hours

A walking tour of the old town will take us through magnificent churches, beautiful old buildings with wrought iron balconies and carved wooden doors, flower and handicrafts markets, art galleries, workshops and all the wonders that Cuenca, with its colonial style and pleasant atmosphere, offers its visitors. We will also ride along the Tomebamba River, while admiring the ancient houses perched on the river bank above. We will drive through some modern neighborhoods and enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the vantage point of Turi. We will also visit ceramic art gallery, a straw hat factory or an artist’s workshop, depending on your personal preferences.

Cuenca's charms in a day

Private, Any Day, Full Day

This is the perfect combination of a city tour with emphasis on the handcraft produced in the area. Since Cuenca is considered the main crafts center of the country, on this trip we concentrate on visiting the workshops where jewelry, paja toquilla (straw fiber), leather, different types of ceramics, iron, wood carvings, textiles, basketry, fireworks and other crafts are made. Cuenca is also home to several art and handcraft galleries, exhibiting work by famous artists, painters, and sculptors such as Eduardo Vega (ceramics), Manuel Pulla (various), Simon Cordero (jewelry), Homero Ortega (Panama hats).

Regarding museums, we could choose among the Banco Central (archeology, ethnography, on-site ruins and Inca gardens), Museo de las Culturas Aborígenes (archeology and history of Ecuadorian cultures), Museo del Monasterio de las Conceptas (religious art and history of a cloister from the 1500s).

This tour will give us the opportunity to enjoy everything that Cuenca has to offer, including lunch at one of Cuenca’s traditional restaurants.

Craft-making & Orchid Villages (Gualaceo & Chordeleg)

private, Any Day, Full Day, Shared Basis, Fri / Sun, Full Day

Cuenca is surrounded by villages where skilled artisans work wonders. Among these are Gualaceo, with its markets that are especially crowded on Fridays & Sundays, where you can observe hand-woven shawls, ponchos and lots of fruits and vegetables on sale. We also visit Bulcay for Ikat weaving and Chordeleg “chorro de oro” (waterfall of gold), a village specialized in jewelry - mainly gold and silver - with fine filigree work; hand made ceramic pottery and the chance to observe people weaving Panama hats and other items made of toquilla straw. One of the highlights on this trip is the visit to Ecuagenera, the most important orchid growing laboratory in Ecuador, which aim is to study and preserve the different species existent through time. Among their achievements, they have discovered 12 new species and 1 gender. During the visit we could observe hundreds of species and learn a bit about these amazing and beautiful plants. Lunch is included in a countryside hacienda.

Ingapirca & Cañari Culture

Private, Any Day, Full Day, Shared Basis, Wed/Fri/Sun, Full Day

After an hour and a half along the Pan-American Highway enjoying amazing countryside Andean landscapes, we reach the most important and well-preserved Inca complex in the country, Ingapirca, which was originally a worshipping temple for the sun. Here we do an easy walk around the ruins and visit the site museum. Additionally, depending on the day of the week, we also visit picturesque Cañari Indian markets observing their traditional colorful customs, visit other smaller ruins in the area, indigenous communities, local artisans, beautiful churches and/or other highlights found on the way. Lunch is included in a local restaurant.

Devil´s Nose Train + Ingapirca

Private, Wed/Fri/Sun, 12 Hours, Shared Basis, Wed/Fri/Sun, 12 Hours

Between Riobamba and Cuenca, we find two of the most interesting destinations in our country. The Devil’s Nose train ride is a famous portion of the Ecuadorian railway accessible from Alausí, where in order to descend a sheer mountain face, the railway engineers decided to build a zig-zag track where the train descends backwards for over 2 km. Once back in Alausí, the trip continues south along the Pan-American Highway, with another stop to visit Ingapirca, the main Inca ruins in the country. We then continue to Cuenca for a late afternoon arrival. Packed lunch is included. Starting in Cuenca or Alausí.

El Cajas National Park

Private, Any Day, Full Day

El Cajas is considered a paradise for hikers due to its ecological conservation and natural beauty. On our trip, we do a moderate hike for about 3 hours through some of its 230 glacier lakes, admiring the moorland vegetation (high Andean grassland, like moors at high altitude) with amazing micro flora, some patches of Quinoa primary forests and spectacular rock formations. The 2nd walk last about 1 hour in the lower cloud forest zone; rich in plant life and abundant in species of birds. The 2 walks are in very different environments, showing all the highlights of the park. For lunch we go to a local restaurant or we take a packed lunch.

Depending on passenger fitness and interest, we could do a longer or more difficult hike, or an easier and more flexible sightseeing journey.

Shared Basis, Any Day, Full Day

Travelers must be fit enough for a moderate standard hike of approximately 4 hours.