Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca

Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador, capital of the Azuay province. It is located in the Sierra, the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500m (8200 ft) above sea level. Its full name is Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca. The city's cobblestone streets, towering cathedrals, and marble and whitewashed buildings give it a colonial air. Cuencanos, known for their traditional demeanor and conservative cultural values, match their 18th century surroundings.

Qhapaq Nan .

Reviews

Jessie Lang (USA):
Cuenca was an important Inca site, and stones from the Inca ruins built the colonial houses. The Tomebamba River divides the old city from the newer part.

Cuenca was a closed city—it had rivers on two sides, the Andes on another, and a wall on the 4th one. The coast was a 7-day walk. It remained fairly isolated until the mid-20th Century.

There are 52 churches in the historic center of the city, but many of them are closed now. There are not enough priests. The old cathedral was built in 1557; the huge new one in 1985. Its gold altar area is a replica of St. Peters, and there are small stained glass windows of the sun and moon (sacred to the Indians.) The church seats 4,000, and can hold 10,000 if they take the benches out. It is used for important events and announcements as well as religious services. People usually go in the side door, so if the big front doors are open, it means something big is happening. The old cathedral has perfect acoustics and it is used for concerts now. Another closed church is probably going to be turned into a library.

Panama hats are made in Cuenca (not in Panama) and we visited one of the ten factories here. They are called “Panama hats” because they were worn there when the canal was being built. The hats are made from the leaves of the toquilla palm. The finer the fiber, the more flexible the hat, and they are priced accordingly ($10-$500.) They showed us one of the $500 hats, and it was like silk.
 


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