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Metropolitan Touring -
Day tours
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Cuenca
CUENCA SCENIC TOUR
(private, 3 hours, daily)
Cuenca is Ecuador's third largest city; yet it still retains its pleasant provincial air. Its red tiled roofs, cobblestone streets, flowery plazas and museums make it very special. This comprehensive tour includes the Plaza of San Sebastian, a colorful artisans market, where handicrafts are sold.
Then, visit the Museum of Modern Art, featuring an excellent collection of contemporary fine art. The original building was the "House of Temperance" where alcoholics were once shut inside its thick walls in an effort to cure them. Stops are made at the workshops where Panama hats of the best quality are made, and at Plaza San Francisco, where the exquisitely embroidered skirts of the cholas are for sale. Next is a visit to the flower market at the small plaza in front of the carved stone entrance to the church of El Carmen de la Asunción. From here, a stroll to the main square, surrounded by the imposing blue-domed Cathedral, the Court of Justice, the Municipal Palace, the Governor's Palace and the Church of El Sagrario. Also visit Todos Santos Ruins, where in different archaeological layers you find the rough stone of Cañari building, the mortarless stonework of the Incas and remains of Spanish arches. The tour ends with a drive along the Tomebamba river to admire the city's overhanging houses and the laundry spread out to dry on its river banks.
CUENCA SCENIC TOUR & LUNCH
(private, 5 hours, daily)
All the attractions of the city tour described before. Then relax, as the local people do, over a leisurely lunch of typical Cuencan delicacies.
CUENCA COLONIAL CITY & HANDICRAFT TOUR
(private, 3 hours, daily except Sunday)
The excursion begins with a drive up the hill of Turi for a panoramic view of the city and an explanation of Cuenca's geography and history. Then an exclusive-special visit, not available to the general public, to theVega ceramics workshop to follow the processes that produce the finest pieces with exclusive designs. Then, proceed to downtown Colonial Cuenca for a stroll along the cobblestone streets, visiting the many small shops with the marvelous handicrafts produced in Cuenca: baskets, embroidery, Panama hats, weavings, ceramics, straw work, leather and jewelry.
CUENCA COLONIAL CITY & HANDICRAFT TOUR WITH LUNCH
(private, 5 hours, daily except Sunday)
The excursion begins with a drive up the hill of Turi for a panoramic view of the city and an explanation of Cuenca's geography and history. Then an exclusive-special visit, not available to the general public, to theVega ceramics workshop to follow the processes that produce the finest pieces with exclusive designs. Then, proceed to downtown Colonial Cuenca for a stroll along the cobblestone streets, visiting the many small shops with the marvelous handicrafts produced in Cuenca: baskets, embroidery, Panama hats, weavings, ceramics, straw work, leather and jewelry.
Lunch with typical specialties of Cuenca will be served at one of the of the city's charming restaurants.
MUSEUMS
Cuenca is a city of museums. Infinite indigenous, local and Spanish traditions are concentrated in its many cultural and artistic exhibitions. Worth visiting are the Museum of the Conceptas which features an important Colonial art collection; the Remigio Crespo Toral Museum includes archaeological relics and religious paintings and sculptures; the Museum of the Banco Central has an interesting anthropological exhibition of the different Indian groups in Ecuador and an in-situ archaeological collection; the Museum of Indigenous Cultures holds the extensive private archeological collection of Juan Cordero and the Museum of Modern Art focuses on excellent contemporary fine art. Special itineraries can be arranged for visits to these museums, according to our client's interests.
INGAPIRCA INCA FORTRESS TOUR
(private, full day, daily)
This tour features a fascinating day trip to Ingapirca, the most northern fortress-temple remaining from Inca times. Sun-worshippers built this stone center on a promontory high above the Cañar valley, about 96 Km (60 miles) northeast of Cuenca and at an altitude of 10,595 feet (3,230 meters) above sea level.
Ride through fascinating highlands, passing through the towns of Azogues and Cañar. Visit the mountain-bound sanctuary of Our Lady of Rocio in Biblian built on steep rock and, on Sundays, the market of Cañar. Upon arrival at Ingapirca stop at the on-site museum, and admire the stone fortress with several trapezoidal doorways and stone walls perfectly fit together, without mortar, of the Inca construction. There is an elliptical platform, known as the Temple of the Sun used for religious and ceremonial purposes, the barracks, the stone "Inca Face" and the zoomorphic carvings. Lunch at a pleasant inn of the area before your return to Cuenca.
GUALACEO VALLEY TOUR
(private, full day, daily)
The valley of Gualaceo is 22 miles (36 kilometers) from Cuenca, at an elevation of 7,446 feet (2,370 meters) above sea level. The ride starts along the Santa Ana valley and then high in the mountains, through very scenic landscapes, which change at every curb. Stops are made at the small town of San Bartolo where guitars are hand made and artistically finished and at Sigsig, where the toquilla straw is harvested and prepared to weave into the famous Panama hats. Proceed to Chordeleg, through orchards and sugar cane plantations, a small town with many stores selling jewelry in gold and silver. Chordeleg is also known for its green and yellow pottery. Lunch is at a very pleasant country inn, surrounded by flowering gardens and very close to the Santa Barbara river. After lunch, follow the road along the banks of the river, lined with weeping willows to the village of Gualaceo, famous for its Sunday market which sells mostly produce, animals and household goods and leather shoes. The valley of Gualaceo is famous for the production of peaches and there is a Peach Festival the first week of March. Visit another tiny town, Bulcay, where the weavers produce the finest shawls and scarves using backstrap looms and the technique of ikat, where the threads are tie-dyed to form specific designs before weaving. Return to Cuenca in the afternoon.
CAJAS FULL DAY TOUR
(full day, daily, private)
A jacket and walking shoes are necessary when heading for the area of Cajas, 19 miles (30 Km.) west of Cuenca. Cajas is lake country, a protected 28,800-hectare area starting at 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level; the region shows remains of intense volcanic activity and glaciation. The highest point is reached on the road at Three Crosses, the water divide of those than go to the Pacific and to the Atlantic. The wind and drizzle can make it very cold, but the scenery surrounding these 230 lakes is splendid, for walking and hiking, for observing flora, fauna and bird life. The vegetation includes small forests of quinua trees, a high protein grain. These dwarf forests are home to many species of birds like hummingbirds and the gray-breasted mountain toucan. The cold lakes of Cajas are full of trout, and we will visit a trout-breeding hacienda where lunch will naturally feature delicious fresh trout.
YUNGUILLA VALLEY AND LUNCH
(private, 1 day, daily)
Yunguilla is a subtropical valley located to the south of Cuenca, with coffee, sugar cane, banana, orange and papaya plantations. A stop is made at the town of Giron to visit a family-run bakery and a small sugar cane processing plant. Enjoy lunch at a mountainside hacienda and then you return to Cuenca.
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Rates.
The prices are given on a basis of 2 pers. For larger groups, you can expect lower prices. The prices of the shared tours are fixed.
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in Dollars |
in Euros |
| Scenic Tour |
42 |
48 |
| Scenic Tour & Lunch |
101.5 |
115 |
| City Artesanal & Handicraft Tour |
50 |
57 |
| Cuenca Artesanal & Handicraft Tour with lunch |
83 |
94 |
| Ingapirca Full Day |
115 |
130 |
| Gualaceo Valley - Chordeleg - Sigsig Tour & lunch |
105 |
119 |
| Cajas Full Day Tour & lunch |
115.50 |
131 |
| Wonderful Cuenca - Ingapirca |
429.5 |
486 |
The convertion is made with a rate of 1, 132 Euros for 1Dollar ( or 1 Euro for 0.86 Dollars)
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