The big picture
These sites offer a broad range of information and advertising about Ecuador and travel services. They offer photos, city reviews as well as valuable insights into local life, politics, environment and culture.
www.ecuadorexplorer.com
www.terradiversa.com
www.thebestofecuador.com
www.goecuador.com
www.ecuador.com
www.my-quito.com
Websites aimed at expatriates, or prospective expats, that provide information about Ecuador include:
www.internationalliving.com
www.escapeartist.com
www.liveandinvestoverseas.com
www.expatexchange.com
Spanish language schools
Learning Spanish in Cuenca is an excellent way to get to know the city and its people. Two schools that receive consistently high marks from students are the Simon Bolivar Spanish School and the Abraham Lincoln Cultural Center.
www.bolivar2.com
www.angelfire.com/al/abelincoln
Tours
Many companies offer tours of Ecuador, including Cuenca and the surrounding areas. Most have English-speaking agents. Three that have positive “word of mouth” are Columbus Travel, www.columbusecuador.com, Terra Diversa, www.terradiversa.com and Metropolitan Touring, www.metropolitan-touring.com.
Getting to Ecuador by air
Three airlines offer non-stop air service to Ecuador’s two international airports at Quito and Guayaquil. American Airlines, www.aa.com and LanChile www.lan.com fly out of Newark and Miami, while Continental, www.continental.com, flies from Houston and Delta www.Delta.com flies from Atlanta. Copa Airlines, www.copaair.com, a Continental affiliate, flies from Miami and the west coast, with an intermediate stop in Panama City, Panama. Taca www.taca.com, the Costa Rican-based airline, flies from Miami and Los Angeles. Prices vary widely and ticket buyers should look for specials. Round-trip air fare from Miami, for instance, varies from under $350 to $1200 depending on the airline and season.
Getting to Cuenca by air
Cuenca is served by three airlines, Tame, www.tame.com.ec/english/home, AeroGal and Icaro. The airlines offer eight to ten daily flights, depending on the season, Monday through Friday, and two on Saturday and Sunday, to and from Quito and Guayaquil. Within the country, flights to Manta, Loja, Coco and Esmeralda originate in Quito and Guayaquil.
Ecuador by bus
Bus service is inexpensive and timely throughout Ecuador, although comfort levels vary by carrier. For information about bus travel, consult a recent Ecuador travel guide.
Ecuador country guides
Most Ecuador country guides provide excellent information and an honest appraisal of the country. Insight, Footprint, Lonely Planet and Insight guides get the best reviews but no matter which one you buy, make sure it has been published within the last two years.
Read all about it
Keep up with the news in Cuenca and Ecuador and learn about the forces that are re-shaping Latin America. Try these sites.
www.cuencahighlife.com
www.economist.com/countries/Ecuador/moreover.cfm/
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/
www.ecuadorrealestatenews.com
If you read Spanish, a number of Ecuadorian newspapers are posted on line. Hoy, in Quito, is the country’s largest, www.hoy.com.ec/home.htm/ Cuenca’s newspaper on line is El Mercurio, www.elmercurio.com.ec/
Cuenca cultural calendar
Cuenca is known for its rich culture and the calendar of festivals, concerts, exhibitions and other public events offers something for everyone. For details about what's going on the city, see www.cuenca.com.ec/index.php/208/0/?&L=3
Our partner real estate websites
CuencaRealEstate.com works in concert with two other real estate services in Ecuador and invites you to check their websites:
www.EcuadorProperties.com
www.EcuadorHomesOnLine.com