Ecuador Photo Gallery: Cuenca

We visited Ecuador in November, 2019.

Santa Ana de los Custro Rios de Cuenca, the capital and largest city of Azuay Province, is located in the central highlands at an elevation of about 8400'. The population is about 400 thousand. The historical district in the city's center between the Rio Tomebamba and Gran Colombia Street is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cuenca is known for textiles, furniture, hats, and shoes. "Panama" straw hats are made in Cuenca. Flower exports are a growing business, especially roses. The area was originally settled by the Canari people, calling their city Quanpondelig ("Plain as Big as the Sky"), then by the Incas as Tomebamba ("Valley of the Sun"). The conquering Spanish used the Inca building materials to build their own city, so most of the pre-Columbian architecture has been erased. Canari and Inca structures still persist at high elevations in the surrounding mountains, marking religious ceremonial sites.

mountains Inca ruins Inca ruins

city view valley aerial view aerial view valley city historical district

church church interior

street scene street scene river street scene plaza plaza street scene church interior church interior park architecture church park street scene street scene street scene street scene rooftops mural fruit market butcher door street scene restaurant

interior interior interior

Panama hats

©2019, 2020 Mermaid Underwater Photographic. All Rights Reserved.

This page sponsored by Mermaid Underwater Photographic. Contact us at mermaid@underwater.org.

Last modified 30 March 2020