Information Sheet Last Updated: 2005

Azuay

Population: 626,827. Ecuador’s fourth most populated province, Azuay is centered around Cuenca, the country’s third city in size and perhaps its finest architecturally. Just outside are the artesan centers of Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Sigsíg, the country’s major hydroelectric plant at Paute, and the rugged landscape of Cajas National Park.

Air access: airport in Cuenca. Regular flights from Quito and Guayaquil.
Bus access: see Buses info sheet for Ecuador
Train access: none

Information given for:

Cuenca

Accommodation
Restaurants
Bars
Spanish Schools
Museums
Shopping
Internet Cafes
Tours & Trekking
Miscellaneous
Festivals

Outside Cuenca

Artesanía
Markets
Baños
Chordeleg
Gualaceo
Paute
Sigsíg
Excursions
Parque Nacional Cajas
El Chorro

CUENCA
Population 278,035. Perhaps Ecuador=s finest city, Cuenca is a little-tarnished gem of colonial architecture. Recently declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by the UNESCO, the historical center has a wealth of museums and fine churches to grace its cobbled streets.

Cuenca Accommodation

Hotels

Cabañas Cabogana
Tel: 894-044, Fax: 894-925
San Miguel de Putzhí
(8 km from Cuenca on the Cajas road)
P.O. Box 01-03-105
20$+12% double room
Furnished apartments with kitchen, dining table, fireplace. Trout pond and ecological gardens.

Cabañas Yanuncay
Tel: 883-716, Telefax: 819-681
Take taxi (or Baños bus) from Av. Loja. Then take the first right after the "Arco de la Luz", or get off the bus there. Go 200m along the river to 2-149
$10 double with breakfast
Country setting on the Yanuncay river, 20-min. walk from downtown Cuenca. Rooms in chalet style houses.

El Cafecito
Tel: 832-337
Honorato Vàsquez 7-36y Luis Cordero
E-mail: elcafec@cue.satnet.net
$4 per person in dormitory rooms
Colonial building with nice decor, sunny courtyard, unlimited hot water, yummy breakfast. Cafe with live music.

Gran Hotel
Tel: 831-934
Gral. Torres 9-70 y Bolívar
$40 single, $44 double, $75 triple
Prices include tax and breakfast. Discounts for groups. Restaurant service available, tv, private bathrooms, telephone.

Hostal Chordeleg
Tel: 824-611
Gran Colombia 1115 y Gral. Torres
$16 (+12%) single, private bath
$24 (+12%) matrimonial / double, private bath
$32 (+12%) triple, private bath
Restored colonial house. Rooms with color TV, telephone. Fax service and 24-hour safe.
Price includes breakfast

Hostal Caribe Inn
Tel: 835-175, 832-842, Fax: 834-157
Gran Colombia 10-51 y Padre Aguirre
$10single, private bath
$16double, private bath
$14 matrimonial private bath
Prices include tax and breakfast. Clean, attractive, colonial building.

Hostal La Orquidea
Telefax: 824-511, 835-844
Borrero 9-31 y Bolivar across from San Alfonso church
single, private bath
matrimonial, private bath
double, private bath
suite (for up to eight)
$39-44 for a double

Hotel Crespo
Tel: 842-571, Fax: 839-473
Calle Larga 793 y Luis Cordero
$60 (+22%) single, private bath
$70 (+22%) double, private bath
$80 (+22%) triple, private bath
Prices include breakfast. Beautiful building, good restaurant overlooking river.

Hotel El Conquistador
Tel: 831-788, Fax: 831-291
Gran Colombia 6-65
$34.8 (+22%) single (s/. 295,000 Ecuadorians)
$40.5 (+22%) double (s/. 340,000 Ecuadorians)
Prices include breakfast buffet.

Hotel Inca Real
Tel: 823-636
Gral. Torres 8-40 y Sucre
E-mail: incareal@ecuanet.net
$30 (+22% tax) single, private bath
$37 (+22% tax) double, private bath
Central, beautiful building. All rooms on courtyard.

Hotel Milan
Tel: 835-351, 831-104
Pres Córdova 989 y Padre Aguirre
$8 single, $15 double, $18 triple
Spacious rooms, TV cable service.

Hotel Norte
Mariano Cueva 11-63 y Sangurima
Roaming hallways, basic rooms, shared baths. Clean, cheap, central.

Hotel Pichincha
Tel: 823-868, 832-405
Gral Torres 8-82 y Bolívar
$4.50 per person, shared bath

Nuevo Hostal Pichincha (same owners)
Tel: 833-695
Juan Montalvo 9-70 btwn. Bolívar y Gran Colombia
$4 per person with private bath
Cafeteria service.

Macondo Hostal
Tel: 840-697, 830-836
Calle Tarqui 11-64 entre Lamar y Sanguirema
E-mail: macondo@cedei.org
$10 / $12 (+12%) single
Nice colonial atmosphere, discount for long stay. $1 discount per room with ISIC.

Hotel España
Tel: 831-351, Fax: 846-442
Sangurima 1-17
$14.3(+12%) single
$21.9 (+12%) double
Prices include breakfast.

Family Stays

Aguilar Family
Arrange through Centro de Estudios Interamericanos.

Erica Webster
Tel: 864-843
Hurtado de Mendoza y el Reventador
$8 per person
Included 3 meals (good trip reports).

Cafe Vasco
Hermano Miguel y Pdte. Córdova
Rooms for rent by the month.

Cuenca Restaurants

Cafe Austria
Benigno Malo 5-99
Good desserts.

Cafe Gasca
Mariano Cueva y Gran Colombia

Doña Charito
Gran Colombia 20-33.
Very good Ecuadorian and International food

El Cafecito (see Hotels)
Cafe/bar. Live music Fridays.

El Pedregal Azteca
Gran Colombia 10-29 y Padre Aguirre
Very good Mexican food.

El Percal
Larga 8-45
Quaint, small cafe. Good, inexpensive grilled Argentinian meat

El Paraíso
Hermano Vásquez 6-46
Vegetarian

El Rincón
Benigno Malo
Spanish cafe with tapas.

El Tequila
Gran Colombia 20-59
Great typical food Southern menu w/ BBQ meats, motepillo (Cuenca dish). Great value

El Túnel
Tel: 823-109
Gral. Torres 8-60
Good for lunch.

Govinda
Aguirre 8-15 behind the cathedral
Vegetarian.

Heladería Holandesa
Benigno Malo 9-51
Great ice cream, desserts.

La Barrraca Cafe
P. Borrero 9-68

Latatun
Gran Colombia 8-80. Opposite El Dorado
Good pizza & atmosphere.

Los Capulíes
Córdova y Borrero
Great typical food with live music Thurs - Sat

Mañajaris
Borrero 5-33 y Jaramillo
Hindu.

New York Pizza
Tel: 842-792
Gran Colombia 10-43 btwn. Torres y Aguirre, opposite Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Raymipampa U
Benigno Malo 8-59 on (Plaza Calderon)
Good local food and reasonableprices

Rincón del Mar
Sangurima west of Vargas Machucha
Good fried fish.

Salon Los Maderos (San Juaguin),
Follow Gran Colombia West out of town about 3m to Gidden paint sign (1st intersection after Av. Las Americas). Turn left and follow road across river till main village of San Juaguin you'll come to T intersection. The restaurant is 50 yards on right.

Cuenca Bars

Bla-Bla
Av. 10 de Agosto
The best place to dance, all types of music

Cine Cafe Marilyn Monroe
Gran Colombia 10-29
Music videos and other films

La Barra
Pres Códora
Local brew.

La Morada del Cantor
Av. Ardoñez Lazo near Hotel La Laguna
Bar, restaurant & peña with Latin American music, excellent atmosphere.

The Stone
Colombia 21-130
Beautiful rock exterior

Ubu' s
Av. Solano, next to Museo Metales
Great ambience, tasty crepes.

Wunderbar
Hno. Miguel 3-43 y Calle Larga
Subterranean Colonial building with lots of character. Tues-Sun, 11am-1am

Cuenca Spanish Schools

Abraham Lincoln Cultural Center
(a.k.a. C. Cultural Ecuatoriano-Norteamericano)
Tel: 823-898, Fax: 841-737
Calle Borrero 5-18 y Onorato Vásquez
P.O. Box 01-01-1939
E-mail: rboroto@insat.net.ec
$7 per hour
Richard Boroto, director. Translations, homestays arranged.

Centro de Estudios Interamericanos
Tel: 823-452, 846-437,839-003, Fax: 833-593
Edificio Asociación de Empleados
Gran Colombia 11-02 y General Torres, 3rd Floor
E-mail: compulab@cedei.org
$6 per hour - minimum 20 hours
$10 per hour for two students together
Family stay for $7 per day plus $25 finding fee. Includes 3 meals.

Estudio International Sampere
Hno. Miguel 3-43 (Escalinata) y Calle Larga
E-mail: sampere@samperecen.com.ec
$370 2 week intensive course
$590 4 week intensive course

Tere Hermida (private teacher)
Tel: 822-838
Sucre 2-13, P.O. Box 436
Contact her at night. Also host family.

Cuenca Museums

Instituto Azuayo de Folklore
Escalinata 303 y Larga.
Good exhibits, has an exhibition of popular art, incorporates CIDAP (Centro Interamericano de Desarollo de Artes Populares - very good crafts shop). The library supports research and promotes craftsmen and women..

Museos del Banco Central
Tel: 831-255, Fax: 823-461
Calle Larga y Huayna Capac (corner)
Various collections, including: pre-Columbian, 19 th Century, ethnographic museum. Inca ruins of Tomebamba adjacent.

Museo del Monasterio de las Conceptas
Tel: 830-625
Hno. Miguel 6-33 btwn. Córdova y Jaramillo
Open: Mon - Fri, 9 am - 5:30 pm
Sat 10 am - 1 pm
Religious art and exhibits on monastery life.

Cuenca Shopping

Bustos Esteves
San Cristobal 2-05
Small workshop. Two brothers make great, inexpensive, hand-molded metal candlelabras and mirrors.

Centro Cultural Jorge Moscoso
Tel: 822-114
Pdte. Cordova 6-14 y Hermano Miguel
Weaving exhibitions in a large, restored colonial building.Unique, high-end craft design.

El Tucán
Borrero 7-35
Best overall selection of a little of everything.

Galeria Pulla
Jaramillo 6-90
Famous painter, also superb sculptures of indigenous scenes. Good jewelry.

Kinara
Sucre 7-70
Beautiful, unique, expensive crafts. Women's clothing in modern designs with indigenous fabrics

Unicornio
Luis Cordero, between 6 Colombia y Lamar Good jewelry and modern ceramics.

Cuenca Internet Cafes

Bapucafenet
Pres. Córdova 8-35

Cuenc@net
Tel: 826-364, 834-663, Telefax: 837-347
Calle Larga 6-02 y Hermano Miguel
E-mail: jcarrasc@etapa.com.ec
Open: Mon - Sat, 9am - 10pm; Sun, 10am - 9pm
$1.50 per hour internet
NetPhone, scanner, fax, printing, post office, film developing.

ExploreNet
Tel: 844-473
Padre Aguirre 10-96 y Lamar (2 nd floor)
E-mail: service@explore-net.net
$1 per hour internet

Cuenca Tours & Trekking

Tour Agencies

Eco-Trek Tourist Agency
Tel: 834-677 or 842-531, Fax 835-387.
Calle Larga 7-108 y Luis Cordero ( next to the Crespo hotel)
Excellent tourist agency, specializes in adventure travel and treks. Custom-built passenger tour vans. Not cheap, but high quality.

Expediciones Apullacta
Tel: 837-815, Fax: 837-681, Cellphone: (09) 771-605, (09) 604-870
Gran Colombia 11-02 y Gral. Torres
E-mail: apullacta@cedei.org
Day trips to El Cajas, Ingapirca, Gualaceo, Chordeleg, Bulcay. Felipe Cardosa is a recommended guide. Transport available.

Río Arriba Expediciones
Tel: 830-116, Fax: 840-031
Hermano Miguel y P. Cordova
Guide: Negro Aguirre (E-mail: negro@92.pro.ec)

Guides

Eduardo Astudillo
Tel: 826-714
A El Camino Explorer @ Sangurima 996

Eduardo Quito
Tel: 823-018, Fax 826-594
Hno. Miguel 956
E-mail: equito@az.pro.ec
Has transport, speaks English & Italian.

Equipment Rental

M & M Rentals
Tel: 853-460, (09) 323-008
V. M. Albornoz y A. Ordoñez 187
Urb. Puertas del Sold
Michelle Aguilera. Rents all type of camping and outdoor equipment.

Climbing Club

Club Andinismo Sangay
Climbing courses. Frequent Sunday day hikes in the country, often to Cajas. Main hike 2nd Sunday of each month. Fee $3. Bus tickets at Camping Shop on corner of Gran Colombia y L. Cordero. Bus departs from Parque Caleron at 8 am.

Cuenca Miscellaneous

Volunteering

Acción Social
Contact Laura at Macondo Hostal.

INNFA (Instituto Nacional del Niño y la Familia)
Contact: Patricio Narvaez or Gladys Berrezueta
Tel: 888-421 / 419 / 413
Av. Remigio Crespo y Los Ríos OR
Tel: 831-002, 832-690
Sucre 6-28 y Hermano Miguel

Transport

Radio Taxi 808-602
Tel: 808-602
Reasonable, reliable, also for trips out of town.

Cuenca Markets & Festivals

Markets
Plaza Rotary: daily, Thurs - Sun are busiest and best.
Plaza San Francisco: Thurs

Festivals

April 10-13
Founding of Cuenca

June
Week-long Corpus Christi festival

November 3
Cuenca's Independence Day combines All Souls and All Saints day November 1st and 2nd. Important holiday period for the city.

December 24
Outstanding Christmas Eve parade. Pasada del Niño, the largest and finest Christmas parade in Ecuador

December 31
New Years Parades and burning of effigies.

 

OUTSIDE CUENCA

Artesanía / Cultural
Good artesanía can be found in the following villages, reached from Cuenca:
Gualaceo Macanas / Ikat backstrap woven material
Chordeleg Famous for crafts in wood, silver and gold filigree, and pottery
Bulcay Ikat/backstrap loom women's coop

Markets

Gualaceo Colourful indigenous market, best day is Sunday.
Sigsig Hat makers, best day is Sunday.

BANOS
This is not the Baños, the holiday resort, but rather a small village 5 km southwest of Cuenca with its own set of thermal baths, which are Ecuador's hottest. Three out of the four complexes have steam baths.

CHORDELEG
This town south of Gualaceo has numerous shops offering gold and silver jewelry and other products. It's pleasant, but some travelers consider it touristy and over-rated. There are frequent buses to and from Gualaceo.

GUALACEO
On Sundays, this lively town east of Cuenca has three markets within a few blocks of eachother: a fruit & vegetable market, a craft & clothes market, and an indoor market with meat, groceries and food stalls. Try the morcilla blanca, a local sausage. Buses to Gualaceo leave Cuenca's Terminal Terrestre regularly (45 minutes).

Hotels & Restaurants

Parador Turístico
Tel: 255-126
Av. del Parador y Av. Loja
Has restaurant, open 8 am - 9 pm.

PAUTE
The Río Paute heads down to a major confluence in Ecuador=s Oriente, but not before passing through the country=s largest hydroelectric plant here. The adjacent town, also Paute, is set in a lovely valley.

SIGSIG
This small town south of Chordeleg is a good place to buy Panama hats. Market day is Sunday.

Excursions

Parque Nacional Cajas
28,000 hectare national recreation area with over 230 lakes and excellent hiking. Take maps (good maps of Cajas are hard to find), rain gear, compass. SAE has some good, thorough trip reports. Entry fee: US$10

El Chorro
Outside of Giron, pretty waterfall. Good hiking to cloud forest above. Ask for directions in Giron.

To Ingapirca
The road from El Tambo to Ingapirca is faster and smoother than road from Cañar. West of Cuenca, 45 min. by car. Nicely renovated, small hacienda on nice grounds in countryside. Good Ecuadorian food, mid-range prices. On road past villages of San Joaquín and Barabon.

Between Biblian and Azogues
On the Panamericana: Good photos at attractive, old wooden house where they dry dozens of straw hats in front near the street.