Cuenca - City of Ecuador

Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador. It is located in the Sierra, the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500m above sea level. The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of its historical buildings.

According to studies and archeological discoveries, the origins of the first inhabitants go back to the year 8060 BC in the Cave of Chopsi. They were hunters, hunting everything the Páramo offered them, and also nomads moving from one place to other. Tools like arrows and spears, found throughout the Andean alley are signs of the beginning of this culture.

The early inhabitants used the stable climate, fertile soil and abundant water to develop agriculture. They grew potatoes, melloco, chocho, squash and quinua, to name a few. They also domesticated animals such as cuy, llamas, and alpacas.

Cuenca is considered a candidate for the mythical city of gold, El Dorado. El Dorado is believed to have been burned by the inhabitants themselves when rumors arose of Spanish conquests. Tomebamba's destruction by its inhabitants prior to the arrival of the Spanish lends credence to the theory that it was El Dorado. Tomebamba was founded by the Incas as a second imperial capital, as noted above.

Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca enjoys a mild climate year-round. Days are generally warm and nights are cool enough that sweaters or jackets are needed. The average daily temperature is 14.6 degrees Celsius. There are two seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season, with some variation, falls between June and December. The rainy season, which is characterized by bright sunny mornings and afternoon showers, falls between January and May. The heaviest rains come in the invierno of March, April and May.