Souvenir Shopping in Cuenca
Domesticated llama and alpaca species are raised commercially
Outdoor markets, indoor markets, flower markets, Cuenca is a mecca for shoppers. If your Ecuador tours take you to Cuenca but not the surrounding villages, you will find examples of all these crafts at the vendor stalls of the Cuenca markets and numerous shops around town. The biggest concentration of craft shops is found in the vicinity of Calle Gran Colombia.
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The Markets of Cuenca
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Geared more for a local clientele, Cuenca’s largest market is held in the Plaza Rotary a few blocks from the beautiful Parque Calderon in the city’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors who travel to Ecuador here will find the most vendors on Thursday, with fewer stalls on Saturday and fewer still the other days of the week. Featuring clothing and crafts, another market takes place at the nearby Plaza Civica. Besides the outdoor craft market in San Francisco Square, visitors on Ecuador tours to Cuenca will also enjoy the Casa de la Mujer, an indoor complex packed with 100 stalls that specializes in regional crafts and is located on the west side of the square. Another smaller, indoor market is not far away. Contemporary art lovers will want to stop at the Museum of Modern Art, also located on the square in a building that once housed those afflicted with alcoholism, then called the Casa de la Temperancia.
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Cuenca is a major export center for panama hats. It is also known for its ikat cloth, similar to tie-dying and batik in which fibers are bundled and dyed before weaving, a popular technique for making shawls and blankets in the Andes. Cuenca is also a place to purchase large straw baskets if your luggage can accommodate them or you are willing to ship. For ceramics, check out the historic neighborhood of Convencion del 45 on the outskirts of the old town where the traditions in the craft date back centuries.
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A major exporter of blossoms, Cuenca is called the city of flowers. Besides photographing the profusion of flowers on balconies and other spots all over town, travelers on Ecuador tours to Cuenca can visit the outdoor flower market, held daily in El Carmen Square (also called La Plaza de las Flores) near the Parque Calderon. The city even has an orchid museum where species bloom from December to May.
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Southern Explorations’ nine-day Ecuador Highlights trip travels to Cuenca and also visits two national parks as well as the famed crafts market of Otavalo, north of Quito, and other Andean towns famous for their crafts.
