Of all the cities in Ecuador, Cuenca is perhaps the most charming with cobblestone streets, ancient churches of the world, the colonial parks and urban rivers. Litho traditional Cuencanos continue to be proud intellectual tradition, which has more prominent writers, poets, artists, philosophers, than anywhere else in Ecuador. Cuencan culture and history well represented in many museums of the city. Those seeking culture in Cuenca in the afternoon you can choose from a variety of restaurants and bars at night. Nightlife in the range from Cuenca bohemian further improvement. Cuenca is the capital of the province of Azuay, the third largest city in Ecuador, and economic center of the southern Sierra. These differences, along with the incredibly preserved city's history, recently received Cuenca the honor of being listed as a World Heritage Trust. well-preserved history of Cuenca and cultural traditions make it a fascinating tourist destination with several hotels and attractions.
History:
Cuenca history begins long before the appearance of both Spanish and the Incas. The town was originally called the settlement CANARI Guapondeleg and is believed to have been founded around 500 AD Guapondeleg means "land as big as the sky."
New Cathedral dominates the square.
Less than half a century before the conquistadors landed, the Incas, after a bitter struggle, conquered and occupied CANARI Guapondeleg and its environs. While the Incas replace CANARI architecture with their own, they do not exclude CANARI or their impressive achievements in astronomy and agriculture. Rather, they absorbed these elements of culture Canaries, as usual, when they conquored other cultures.
Shortly after the defeat of CANARI, commander of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui, ordered the construction of a big city - Pumapungo ", the door Puma" - whose brilliance was a problem, the Inca capital of Cuzco. Indigenous people said the Spanish history conquorers golden temples and other such miracles, but by the time the Spaniards found the legendary city Pumapungo, all that remained only the ruins, bringing the Spanish wonder what happened to the legendary splendor and richness of the second Inca capital.
After left Canaria and the Incas, Cuenca was sparsely populated until 1550's. Cuenca that exists today, was founded by the Spaniards in 1557, which was relatively late, taking into account other major cities of southern Ecuador, Loja, was founded in 1548.
Population of Cuenca and the value increased during the colonial era and reached its peak of its importance in the early years of independence in Ecuador, it became the capital of one of the three provinces that comprised the nascent republic, the other two capitals were Guayaquil and Quito.
Climate:
Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca has a mild climate all year round. Days are generally warm and nights cool enough that you should pack a sweater. Average daily temperature is 14.6 degrees (58 degrees Fahrenheit). The rainy season as well as Quito and usually lasts from mid-October to early May. During this time, the morning is usually sunny and in the afternoon Cloudy with light, periodic showers.
