Convent Museum The Convent Museum (Museo del Monasterio de las Conceptas) has a very non-descriptive entrance. Once you go through the doors, the size of the monastery is incredible, taking up almost an entire city block. The museum, founded in 1599, will enlighten you to the life and customs of the nuns in a monastery. […]
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New Cathedral The most iconic pictures of Cuenca are those of the blue domes of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception or affectionately referred to as the New Cathedral by Cuencanos. This Cathedral is not to be confused with the “old” cathedral across the street. Located in the heart of the historic center of Cuenca, known
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Panama Hat Did you know that the Panama Hat originated in Ecuador and not Panama? It originated in the mid-1600’s. It wasn’t until 1835 that Ecuador started shipping the hats worldwide and made a fortune. The hats became popular when the US President Theodor Rosevelt wore it during his visit to the building of the Panama
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The Orchid Farm The Orchid Farm (called Ecuagenera) is more than just a place to buy Orchids; it’s a laboratory, gene bank, and education center. They are one of the worlds largest suppliers of Orchids with over 8,000 species of which over 4,200 come from Ecuador. This small farm participates in orchid shows and lectures around
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Ikat weaving at La Casa de la Makana may be the only place in the world to see how they make handmade Makana shawls with Ikat patterns. Family Business A short drive from Cuenca, Ecuador to the town of Gualaceo is where you will find La Casa de la Makata. The location is a modest
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Our visit to a cloud forest in Cañar was one of fascination and like a trip back in time. Ecuador has 24 provinces, similar to states, in the United States. Then there are 221 cantons in these provinces (technically, three of these are not in a province). We traveled to the province of Cañar. Where
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Doce de Abril Doce de Abril (or the 12th of April) is the holiday in Cuenca that celebrates the birth of the city. The Spanish settlement of Cuenca was founded on April 12, 1557. This year marks the 459th anniversary. The celebration occurs for a week that ends on the 12th. Lots of parades, fireworks,
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Seven Church Tradition There is a tradition here in Cuenca and around the world in urban Catholic communities to do a seven church visit on the evening of Holy Thursday (the night before Good Friday). The history of this tradition is not clear. The pilgrimage to each church may correspond to the seven stations of
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Only in Cuenca can you have world class musicians play Vivaldi at your house concert party for a small donation of appreciation. House Concert We went to a friends house who hosted one of these events, and it was fantastic. Led by Daniel Brito Acosta (Pianist), Violinist and a Cellist, the trio sounded magnificent. They
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Miguel Illescas Miguel Illescas Art Gallery had its grand opening last week which my wife and I attended. What a wonderful display of art. I have to say that we were a little biased since my art instructor, Alberto Soriano, was displaying some of his oil work. The artists were present along with many other
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