🇪🇨 Cuenca Travel Guide
🏨 Accommodation Hotel Check Inn $56/person for 3 nights (shared bathroom + breakfast included). Prime location with a rooftop terrace—perfect for evening breezes! ⛪ Top Attractions 1️⃣ Old Cathedral of Cuenca ($1 entry) Spooky crypts with mummies, otherwise modest interiors. 2️⃣ New Cathedral (Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción) Breathtaking interiors (no photos!). Climb the tower for $2. 3️⃣ Calderon Park Heart of the city, surrounded by craft markets and the "Cuenca" sign photo spot. 4️⃣ Pumapungo Museum (Free) 3 floors of indigenous artifacts + outdoor ruins and aviary. Highlights: Ancient pottery, Ecuadorian currency evolution, and traditional costumes. 5️⃣ El Columpio Mirador de Turi Best city views (skip the $0.50 church—views are free outside!). 🍽️ Food & Markets Mercado 10 de Agosto: Missed the cuy (guinea pig), but great for local snacks. Mall del Río: Has a Kung Fu Tea and supermarket (stock up for hikes!). 🌿 Nature Escapes 1️⃣ Parque Nacional Cajas Free entry, $6 round-trip bus from Cuenca. 8 hiking trails—feels like Xinjiang’s landscapes! 2️⃣ Scenic Mountain Drive Passed Dirección General de Registro Civil—stunning, untouched Andean vistas. 🚫 Missed Spots Chocolatería Dos Chorreras: Skipped (not a chocolate fan). Universidad de Cuenca: Closed weekends. #Cuenca #EcuadorTravel #BudgetTravel