Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, Colonial old town and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cuenca, Ecuador.
The historic center of Cuenca is an old town district set high in the Andes at about 2,500 meters elevation with streets arranged in a grid pattern. Buildings from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical periods stand closely together and form the architectural fabric of the area.
Spanish colonists founded this settlement in 1557 in the highlands as a strategic control point between Quito and Lima. The establishment was part of the broader effort to consolidate colonial power and develop agricultural resources.
The churches and monasteries reflect different phases of religious life from colonial times to the present day. Craft workshops and traditional markets scattered through the neighborhoods give the streets their everyday character and local identity.
Four rivers run through the valley where you can reach museums, churches, traditional markets, and craft shops on foot. The district is compact enough to explore by walking and offers rest spots and refreshments at many corners.
Underground lie the remains of a settlement built by the Inca and Canari peoples more than 500 years ago at the Pumapungo site. This archaeological layer reveals that people lived here long before the Spanish arrived and had their own organized society.
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