Cuenca is Ecuador's third-largest city and, by most accounts, its most beautiful. Set at 2,500 metres in the southern highlands, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 for its remarkably intact colonial centre — cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings with ironwork balconies, and churches on seemingly every corner.
The Tomebamba River divides the city in two. The historic centre sits north of the river, centred on the Parque Abdón Calderón with its two cathedrals: the old El Sagrario (1557) and the massive blue-domed New Cathedral, started in 1885 with the ambition of being the largest in South America (a miscalculation meant the front towers could never support their intended domes, but it remains impressive). South of the river, modern Cuenca spreads out with universities, cafes and a growing expat community drawn by the mild climate and low cost of living.
The surrounding area rewards day trips. Cajas National Park, about 30 km west, is a hauntingly beautiful páramo landscape of more than 235 lagoons set among rolling moorland — a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance and a superb destination for hiking and birdwatching. The Ingapirca ruins, Ecuador's most significant Inca site, are about two hours north.