NEW: Cuenca City and Surrounding Villages

In the morning you will visit the city of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town is best visited on foot. Our tour takes you along the cobblestone streets admiring the historic buildings, hanging balconies, carved wooden doors, the craft fair and colourful flower market, the main plaza with the Old Cathedral, which has been converted to the “Museum for Religious Art”, and the magnificent blue-domed Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. See silversmiths at work and handicrafts of almost every kind. We end the tour with a visit to the “Panama Hat” factory.

After the city tour you will have lunch at a local Hacienda.  Then we will head out of the city where you will have the opportunity to enjoy Cuenca’s scenic countryside, stopping off in villages where artisans have been creating for generations. In San Bartolome we meet craftsmen making handmade guitars with the most amazing wood inlay. We visit Chordeleg famous for ceramic pottery, silver and gold filigree jewelry, in Gualaceo one can stroll around the local market learning about the local fruit, maybe taste a typical dish. In Bulcay, a family dedicated to keeping alive the dying craft of pre-Columbian Ikat weaving, will show us how these intricate patterns are created, dyed and woven.

During this tour one can observe people weaving Panama hats and other straw items. (L)

• Location:Cuenca and Surroundings
• Duration:1 day
• Start / End:Cuenca / Cuenca
• Activities:Touring Cuenca’s historical centre, visit local villages, lunch at local Hacienda
• Highlights:Flower market, main plaza with Old Cathedral, the blue domed Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, handicrafts of every kind, “Panama Hat” factory, handmage guitars of San Bartolome, ceramics and jewelry of Chordeleg, fruit market of Gualaceo, pre-Columbian Ikat weaving of Bulcay
• Season:All year
• Included:Bilingual guide, all visits and activities in itinerary, lunch at a local hacienda
• Not Included:Meals not mentioned in itinerary, entrance fees to National Parks and museums, tips, personal expenses
• Prices:Price upon request