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About Cuenca
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Cuenca
has been called “the Athens of Ecuador” by some
writers on the internet. I
think that is a very good introduction to those of you who are thinking
of
coming to Ecuador. It is the third largest city in Ecuador. Cuenca
is our place of residence here in Ecuador. The city is a must see for
anyone
touring Ecuador. It is located in the southern half of the country and
is known
as the economic and cultural centre and the capital of the province of
Azuay. It
was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999. The population
is
around 400,000 and the city is approximately 8200 ft above sea level.
This city
is a blend of old colonial and also modern-day facilities. Four
rivers wind through the town. There are many beautiful homes perched
along the
rivers Yanucay, Tomebama, Machangara and Tarqui. It is a daily activity
for
local women to do their washing in the rivers. Our
apartment overlooks the Tomebamba river and at times the river runs so
rapidly
it sounds like the ocean. Cuenca
has many beautiful churches, and the city is adorned with homes
decorated with
ironwork balconies and the streets are cobblestones. Cuecanos are very
family
orientated, culturally conservative, promoters of the arts, and many
cultural
and artistic events can be found at any time in the city. Cuenca
has eight universities and the most prestigious is the Universidad de
Cuenca
(University of Cuenca) a state school of about 12,000 students. This is
the
home to poets, writers, artists and philosophers. As
the Cuencanos are family-orientated and live a leisurely pace it is not
uncommon to find businesses and public offices closed between 1-3 p.m.
being
the lunchtime hours. Most employees can go home and have lunch with
family and
friends. You can always find a restaurant which will serve the
“Menu del Dias”
anywhere between $2.00 - $3.85 for soup, main course, small salad and
dessert. Click here
to see our favorite restaurants in Cuenca. A
brief search on Cuenca’s history shows that it has been named
various times
throughout its history, depending on whose control it was under. The
first
settlers, the Canaris indigenous group, named it Guapondelig,
(“land as big as
the sky”). City was renamed Tumipamba (“plain of
the ridge”) after the Inca
conquest. The
Spanish explorer Gil Ramirez Davalos founded the city in 1557 and
called it
Tomebamba. The Spanish then renamed the town “Santa Ana de
los Cuatro Rios de
Cuenca (Santa Ana of the Four Rivers of Cuenca). So it has become and
remains
this day as Cuenca. Cuenca
regained its independence from the Spanish on November 3rd
1820. We
have just celebrated the “Nacional Day” with a
three day celebration and
processions, outdoor dancing and displays by Artisans from throughout
Ecuador.
So how much do I need to retire/live in Cuenca? If
you are thinking of renting a nice unfurnished apartment I would allow
around
$1300-$1400 per month.
This
will
certainly I believe give you a very comfortable lifestyle for two
people. From
our apartment window I see many older expats accompanied by a maid on a
morning
walk much like a carer back home but these usually young women also
cook and
clean and are very pleasant.
Renter’s
Budget in
Cuenca, Ecuador per Month
If
you consider buying a home or apartment and don’t have to
worry about a
mortgage your budget could look something like this. Budget
per month if you
own a home/apartment
The
above does not include cell phones.
You
can go on a plan or by a pre paid $10 card.
Also if you decide to have a
car you should also allow for
this.
I cannot give
exact estimates as we have our motorcycle
and hardly feel like we pay for gas.
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