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Cuenca, which is known in full as Santa Ana de Los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca, is a city in central Ecuador. It is the provincial capital of Azuay Province in the sierra of the Andes.
Guide to Cuenca Hotels
Here's a list of hotels in Cuenca that you can book online, listed by city, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites. This helps you to make your room booking with the site that offers the best price.
Catedral Vieja (Old Cathedral) of Cuenca, restored in 1999-2005
Author: Cayambe (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
More on Cuenca
Located between 2,350 to 2,550 m above sea level, Cuenca enjoys a year-round mild climate that is classified as subtropical highland. The daily temperature is quite constant, averaging around 14.5°C (58°F). Cuenca receives the most rain in April, at 109 mm (4.29 in).According to archaeological discoveries, the area around Cuenca has seen human habitation going back to 8,000 BC. The earliest settlement in the area was established by the Cañari people. It was known as Guapondeleg, and was founded around AD 500.
The settlement of Guapondeleg was captured by the Incas around the 15th century, and they renamed it Tomebamba. The Incas under Tupac Yupanqui created a city of great splendor at Tomebamba, called Pumapungo, meaning "door of the puma". It is said to be a city of golden temples. This was the mythical city which the Spanish knew as El Dorado. The inhabitants of Tomebamba is said to have destroyed it before the Spanish got there. The Spanish under Gil Ramírez Dávalos eventually founded Cuenca on 12 April, 1557.
Today Cuenca is one of the major cities of Ecuador. It has a well-preserved old town which was laid out by King Charles V of Spain. The historic center of Cuenca was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. making it just one of the two cultural heritage sites recognized by UNESCO as of 2011.
Visiting Cuenca
The Mariscal Lamar Airport, located 2,532 m (8,306 ft) above sea level, is the airport serving Cuenca. It receives flights from Quito and Guayaquil.Places of Interest in Cuenca
- New Cathedral of Cuenca
Built in 1885, this "new" cathedral replaces the old one. It is located over the main plaza. - Old Cathedral of Cuenca
Dating back to 1557, this is no longer used as a church, and has been turned into a museum.
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