Cuenca Travel Guide, Ecuador

The city of Cuenca is the capital city of the province of Azuay, Ecuador. This city is located on the highlands of Sierra, and its altitude is around 2,500 meters above sea level. It was tagged World Heritage Trust Site by UNESCO due to the huge number of historical monuments that are part of this city.

Demographics

The population of Cuenca as per the census of 2000 was around 418,000 inhabitants of which around 267,000 inhabitants were part of the urban population. The city stretches over an area of around 68 square kilometers and this makes the population density to be around 4,000 inhabitants per square kilometer. This reflects that the city is somewhat crowded when compared to many other cities of Ecuador.

The economy of Cuenca is dependent on different industries and on the agricultural industry. Cuenca has been famous for its educational institutes, also known as the University City - it has 8 universities among which the oldest is the University of Cuenca with around 12,000 students.

Climate

Just like the rest of the Andes regions in Ecuador the city of Cuenca experiences a mild climate all year round. The days in Cuenca are usually warm, but the nights become considerably cooler. The dry season is from June till December and rainy season is from January till May. The heavy rains hit the city between March and May.

Transport Facilities

The Bus Station of Cuenca, famous by the name Terminal Terrestre, connects many major sections of the city with each other via the complex network of buses that run continuously for the ease of commuters. It is around 20 minutes walk away from the very famous Historic Center of Cuenca. This bus system also connects Cuenca with many major neighboring cities. Cuenca has its own airport as well.

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