Cuenca

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Cuenca was our first stop in a city in several weeks if a small one at that (population 330,000). As it turned out it was the perfect size for us after coming from a series of towns, both in the Galapagos and the Andean highlands and allowed us to indulge in the few things we wanted in a city.

Cuenca has the feel of a town but with a variety of cuisines on offer to rival at least the better areas of a large city and the standard of the food is incredible. We also found more good coffee shops here than in any previous stop in almost 3 months.

The Restaurants / Coffee shops

It’s safe to say our main activity in Cuenca was eating and drinking. Having come from two very active trips – hiking in Quilotoa and snorkeling in the Galapagos – where there was great food for the eyes but not the mouth – the variety of cuisines on offer in Cuenca meant that eating out was the perfect activity.

  • Café San Sebas
  • Café de Ñucallacta
  • Thai Connection
  • El Pedregal Azteca
  • Fabiano’s Pizzeria

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Weekend strolls

Cuenca has a beautiful river running through the city that’s perfect to walk along. On Saturday a local market sets up alongside it to add to it’s charm.

We spent the rest of the weekend visiting the Museum of Modern Art and soaking up the atmosphere of the busy plazas in the many cafes and bars.