12 Best Things to Do in Cuenca: Blue Domes, El Barranco, Pumapungo & Cajas

Whether you are drawn by colonial cloisters and Inca stonework, UNESCO-listed artisan traditions, or high-altitude glacial lagoons thirty minutes outside town, Cuenca rewards unhurried exploration. Here are the twelve essential experiences in and around the city.

1. Cathedrals, Plazas & the Tomebamba Riverbank

1. Climb 155 Steps to the Rooftop Under the New Cathedral's Blue Domes: Stand directly beneath the three Czechoslovakian tile cupolas of the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción for views over Parque Calderón.
2. Tour the 1557 Old Cathedral (Iglesia del Sagrario): Cross the square to inspect Inca stones in the foundation walls, an 18th-century pipe organ, and carved colonial choir figures inside Cuenca's original parish church.
3. Breathe in the Roses at the Plaza de las Flores & Buy Carmelite Herbal Water: Browse orchid and rose stalls outside the 1730 Baroque stone portal of the Monasterio del Carmen de la Asunción and purchase agua de pitimas through the nuns' wooden turnstile.
4. Walk El Barranco Along the Río Tomebamba & Cross the Puente Roto: Stroll the grassy river path below the hanging mansions of Calle Larga and the 1840s Broken Bridge.

2. Inca Ruins, Toquilla Straw Hats & Convent Museums

5. Explore the Inca Terraces & Gardens of Museo Pumapungo: Walk the stone ritual baths and agricultural terraces of Inca Tomebamba alongside the ethnobotanical garden and bird rescue aviary at Museo y Parque Arqueológico Pumapungo.
6. Visit a Traditional Toquilla Straw Hat ("Panama Hat") Workshop: Watch artisans press, block, and finish UNESCO-listed paja toquilla hats along Calle Larga or at Homero Ortega.
7. Step Inside the 1599 Museo de las Conceptas: Discover four centuries of cloistered convent life and Quito School polychrome sculptures.
8. Browse Mercado 10 de Agosto & Ride the Tranvía de Cuenca: Sample slow-roasted hornado and mote pillo and witness traditional Andean herbal cleansings (limpias) at Mercado 10 de Agosto.

3. Andean Highland & Artisan Day Trips

4. Sunset Viewpoints & Thermal Springs

End an afternoon looking out over the valley from the white hilltop church of Mirador de Turi before soaking in the volcanic pools of Baños de Cuenca.

9. Hike Among 270 Glacial Lakes in Parque Nacional Cajas: Walk the shoreline of Laguna Toreadora (3,920m) and ancient paper-bark Polylepis forests in Cajas National Park.
10. Visit the Elliptical Inca Temple of the Sun at Ingapirca: Travel north into Cañar Province to tour Ecuador's premier Inca-Cañari monument at Ingapirca.
11. Shop for Silver Filigree in Chordeleg & Ikat Shawls in Gualaceo: Explore the Santa Bárbara artisan valley east of Cuenca.
12. Admire the French Republican Architecture of the Corte Superior de Justicia: Step into the marble arcades facing Parque Calderón.