By air: Mariscal Lamar Airport (CUE) sits unusually close to the city centre, about 2 km from Parque Calderón. The runway is short, which has limited operations to turboprop aircraft in recent years — commercial jets have been phased out. Flights connect Cuenca to Quito (around 50 minutes) and Guayaquil (around 30 minutes). Check current airline schedules, as services change; TAME, Avianca and smaller operators have all served the route at various times.
By bus: Cuenca is well connected by long-distance bus. Buses from Quito take 8–9 hours and overnight services are available, arriving at the Terminal Terrestre on the north side of the city. From Guayaquil the journey is around 4 hours through the coastal lowlands up into the highlands — a scenic ride. Buses from Loja to the south take about 4 hours and pass through attractive Andean scenery.