Upon hearing about the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca, we knew that this was one place we needed to visit before leaving Ecuador so, after spending a great week in Quito, we headed south. Since the road to Cuenca is an 8-hour ride, we split the journey into two trips with a stop in the town of Riobamba in the middle.
On the way to Riobamba, we took a little detour to see the Quilotoa lake. This lake is, in fact, a 3-kilometer caldera formed by the collapsing of the dacite volcano 600 years ago that is filled with vibrant blue water (the result of dissolved minerals) today. The ride up to the lake was a cold and windy one, but the view of the lake was amazing.
The ride from Riobamba to Cuenca was close to 5 hours on the following day, but it didn’t feel so long due to all the breaks we took to enjoy the gorgeous views.
Cuenca was an absolute delight and we enjoyed the 3 days we spent there. It is considered to be the most European city thanks to its 16th and 17th era colonial architecture resembling those found throughout Spain. The city center of Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its numerous historical buildings.
While Cuenca has a large expat community and foreigners are a fairly common sight, the city does not feel touristy. There were no pushy vendors or tour companies at every corner so walking through its beautiful streets was a true pleasure.
After Cuenca, Guayaquil was our next stop where we stayed for a week. Guayaquil is a port city that is Ecuador’s largest and most populous; however, despite its size, it does not offer much to do and see. A week would have been too much time if some of that was not allocated to logging in work hours.
We did visit the Malecón 2000, a boardwalk overlooking the Guayas river. There are restaurants, shops, and an IMAX theatre among the offerings along its length, making it nice enough for an afternoon stroll.
The one place that we had to visit in Guayaquil was El Barrio Las Peñas – a neighbourhood full of colourful buildings dating as far back as 400 years that house art galleries, museums, restaurants, and stores today. There is a 444-step climb to the top where there is a little chapel and a lighthouse alongside a terrific 360-view of the city.
On Sunday, August 19, we rode for around 4 hours to Huaquillas, our last stop in Ecuador before crossing the border into Peru on the following morning. We truly enjoyed our time in this little country and while we loved the fantastic roads, charming towns, and delicious food of Ecuador, we are ready for the next step! 🙂
