Top Things to do in Cuenca
Countries
Top 10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Cuenca, Azuay Province
Writers and poets have long flourished in arts-oriented Cuenca, the country's third-largest city and the capital of the Azuay province. Cafes and galleries are tucked among the narrow cobblestone streets. The main plaza hosts both the old cathedral, started in 1557, the year the city was founded, and the blue-domed Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, dating to 1885. Locally made Panama hats get top billing at the markets, with centrally located Casa de la Mujer a shopping standout.
Restaurants in Cuenca
1. Galapagos Artesanias
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By sueb4bs - Portland, United States
A very special Ecuadorian "treasure house" of memories and gifts from this country-- I love this place! This quality is beginning to be very rare --to find the types of work, quality of weaving, and handmade products made by communities of indigenous all over Ecuador. This sweet place with Alejandro and his mother Laura give very good service and their prices are reasonable. Go see for yourself. Highly recommended for yourself and your family to visit and buy some special gifts !
2. Jazz Society Cafe
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 55 reviews
Live jazz 4 nights a week (Wed. - Sat.) 7pm - 10pm 2nd floor of La Vina Italian Restaurant Ecuador's only jazz club! The Jazz Society Café is the performance venue of The Jazz Society of Ecuador in Cuenca, Ecuador. The Café is located on the 2nd floor (upstairs) of La Viña Italian Restaurant. La Viña provides the food & beverages using the same menu and prices as downstairs, and has an excellent reputation for serving authentic Italian cuisine and pizza.
Reviewed By MagyarNC - Cuenca, Ecuador
The Jazz Society Cafe has reopened! For anyone looking for it in El Centro, please look towards the west side of Cuenca at Ramona Cordero y León 3-71. It is the "home" of Mother and Son Family Kitchen. The owner and talented jazz musician, Jim Gala, had to move because the restaurant below his venue closed because of the pandemic. At its new place, one is literally in the living room, which is like a small theater that can hold 20 to 25 people. It is a very cozy and intimate place with not a bad seat in the house. The setting is so personal that one can almost touch the musicians from their table. To get back into the groove, the jazz venue is open only one day per week, on Saturday afternoons. There are several gourmet food offerings and drinks to accompany the great live jazz. My wife and I went with another couple to this lovely music venue. We all started with their famous house salad. Three of us had it with balsamic vinaigrette while I chose their creamy garlic dressing. If you are a garlic lover, you will be in heaven with this dressing! The vegetables were very fresh, and it included an unique sweet and tart fruit from Ecuador that resembles a smaller grape tomato. What a perfect complement to the salad. For our entrées, two of us chose "Garlic Prawn Pasta in White Wine Tomato Sauce," served with linguine. Everything was very fresh and tasty! One of our friends had "Crispy-Skin Salmon with Dill Chili Mango Sauce." It came with two sides of your choice. He wasted no time with the excellent salmon. For my dinner, I went with the "Garlic Butter Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast," served with linguine. As soon as my wife had a taste of my entrée, she exclaimed that next time she was getting this very good dish. I totally understand. Our server stated that they have excellent desserts. We were all too full to even try one. But! Next time we shall certainly make sure to have room. Jim was spot on when he told my wife and me, “Jazz at its best can be very intimate. It’s very unpretentious and it can be very profound. It’s like a good book; it can change the way you think. You leave the place a different person.” Trust me... You definitely will!
3. Miguel Illescas Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
In "MIGUEL ILLESCAS C. ART GALLERY" you can find two and three-dimesional works made by ecuatorian artist MIGUEL ILESCAS C., an invitarion for the viewer to discover codes that will lead to a magicl an fantastic encounter. Permanent exhibition of national and international guest artist also silver jewelry designs. Visit us, we will glad to receive you.
4. Museo Catedral Vieja
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 437 reviews
Situated on top of some ancient Inca ruins, this cathedral was built in 1557 when modern Cuenca was founded.
Reviewed By 503nath_liap - Belo Horizonte, Brazil
There you can see beautiful pieces of art and learn about Cuenca's history and the history about catholic religion coming to South America. I recommend to listen the recording about the place.
5. La Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Cuenca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,086 reviews
This large cathedral (circa 1885) features a series of sky-blue cupolas; the interior contains a magnificent altar and a famous crowned image of the Virgin Mary.
Reviewed By 68olivers
Our hotel sits on a hilltop about a mile and a half from the city center. We had a grand view of the city center of which the blue domes of this church stood out. The church is even more striking up close. Beautiful gothic arches, stained glass windows, very ornate altars that speak of days gone will greet you inside the church. For $2, you can access the stairs to the roof. The stairs are winding, narrow and at times steep. If you are fit enough, I recommend it strongly. The views are magnificent from atop the church. There are 52 churches in Cuenca- 1 for each week as our guide told us. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is one of three churches that I would recommend as a "Do Not Miss" when visiting Cuenca.
6. Homero Ortega
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 363 reviews
Reviewed By Dorito50 - Washington DC, United States
The free guided tour (in English or Spanish) of how the misnamed Panama hat of Ecuador is made is fascinating. Also welcome is the freedom to wonder among the workers to see what they do up close, ask questions and take photos. The tour ends, of course, in the company store, including the room where the finest and most expensive hats are on display. Hats at all price levels are available and, even if you don't buy, you can try them on for fun. If you happen to arrive at a time when no guided tour is available, there is good bilingual signage to self-tour. Panama hats are one of Ecuador's signature crafts. Homero Ortega offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about them and maybe take one home..
7. Eduardo Vega Galeria Taller
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 186 reviews
Reviewed By bwdmusic - Cuenca, Ecuador
Took a group of ladies here last week and everyone enjoyed seeing the beautiful artwork and most took a sampling home to enjoy.
8. La Casa de la Makana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By MagyarNC - Cuenca, Ecuador
La Casa de la Makana is just a half-hour from Cuenca, in the Gualaceo canton of Azuay. Think of a canton as a county. It is owned and operated by José Jiménez, a Gualaceo craftsman who is helping to keep the art of Ikat alive. According to the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, Ikat is a Malay-Indonesian term for a dyeing technique that is “one of the most complicated approaches to dyeing found anywhere in the world.” José demonstrated to our tour group of four people what it takes to make the dye. My wife held out her hand, and our gracious host squashed some tiny insects (Cochineal) in her hand. He added liquid, and... Voila! You have an intense "royal" red dye. I use the word royal as only Inca royalty was allowed to wear cochineal dyed clothing. All sorts of dyes are made from 'natural' sources that are created in lovely earthen pots. Lichens are for greens. Walnut shells make browns, and minerals from rocks produce greys. As for blue dye, Indigofera tinctoria is used. It is a species of plant from the bean family. As you can see... No chemicals!! Ikat is one of the oldest forms of textile design, and although it is common to many cultures around the world, the weavings produced in Ecuador are considered to be among the best. In Ecuador and other parts of the world the tradition is in steady decline. The work of José Jiménez is internationally recognized. There are so many beautiful macanas to choose from in their upstairs store! My wife and our good friend spent a good amount of time trying to narrow down their choices. Everyone should make the journey to La Casa de la Makana to appreciate the beautiful handcrafted textiles! The colors and craftsmanship will have you wanting some for your home and to wear. To top that off, take your time to enjoy the simple, but beautiful pottery that adorns this lovely "house." You will leave La Casa de la Makana with a huge smile on your face because you experienced some of the great culture and history of this wonderful country. And hopefully, you are bringing some of that back to your home.
9. Art Cuenca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Visit the artists, artisans and designers of Cuenca. Art Cuenca can plan a great visit into the studios, galleries or shops to see the process and learn from them. You can also buy the art straight from the artists paying a good price. Also visit our gallery located on Bolivar and Miguel HerediaVisite artistas, artesanos y disenadores de Cuenca. Art Cuenca puede planear una visita a los estudios, galerias y talleres para ver el proceso y conocer mas sobre el mismo. Puede compara el arte directamente del autor, pagando un buen precio.Tambien puede visitar nuestra galeria ubicada en la Simon Bolivar y Miguel Heredia.
10. Museo de las Culturas Aborigenes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 242 reviews
5000 Beautiful archaeologic pieces displayed in 15 rooms.
Reviewed By deborahsF6391YI
Terrific little museum with a wide range of artifacts from indigenous cultures around Ecuador. Offerings include: ornamental and utilitarian ceramics, musical instruments, weapons and tools, jewelry and ornaments, textiles, and more. There is also a nice gift shop with a wide selection of indigenous crafts at the exit/entry.
TAGS
