We spent four happy days in Cuenca, Ecuador, a Spanish colonial city full of life and beautiful sights.  It is a much smaller city than Quito, the capital, where we started and finished our visit to Ecuador.

The highlights of Cuenca included the old streets, the beautiful river, the vibrant market, and the Inca ruins and adjacent museum of the indigenous people of Ecuador.

Cuenca is a lovely, well-preserved and vibrant city, populated with a diverse mix of people.  It is friendly and welcoming and a great deal more relaxing than Quito.

Here is a sample of photographs we took during our visit to Cuenca:

Hotel Los Balcones

In Cuenca, we stayed at a charming “boutique” hotel called Los Balcones, in the historical district.  The hotel was our base for exploring Cuenca.

We really enjoyed Los Balcones, in part because we found it easy to meet and speak with other guests.  The friendly staff, many of whom spoke English, made us feel welcome.

Sometimes on our journey we have stayed in rented apartments, which can have its advantages, but it does not afford the same opportunity to meet fellow travelers.

Here are some more pictures we took at Los Balcones, in the beautiful city of Cuenca: