Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador and considered by many to be the most attractive. Founded on the Inca site of Tomebamba, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage City. With cobblestone streets, flower filled plazas and many old buildings constructed in the marble quarried nearby, the city retains its traditional and colonial atmosphere.

Highlights of any visit to Cuenca should include the old El Sagrario and new Inmaculada cathedrals, the Plaza de las Flores with its daily flower market or an amble through the narrow alleyways and streets. A short distance from Cuenca lie the historic Inca ruins of Ingapirca. This excavated area displays fine Inca masonry and provides a fascinating insight into this remarkable civilisation.