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.ecuadorexciting.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.expatexchange.com

Spanish language schools

Learning Spanish in Cuenca is an excellent way to get to know the city and its people. We recommend Simon Bolivar School, which received the highest rating of Ecuadorian language schools by The New York Times.
www.bolivar2.com/

Tours

Many companies offer tours of Ecuador, including Cuenca and the surrounding areas. Most have English-speaking agents. Two that have positive “word of mouth” are Columbus Travel, www.columbusecuador.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 Ecuador as told from the local perspective. Learn about the forces that are re-shaping Latin American as more than a century of U.S. influence begins to wane. Try these sites.

www.economist.com/countries/Ecuador/moreover.cfm/

www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/

www.topix.net/world/ecuador

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 (in Spanish) about what's going on the city, see www.municipalidadcuenca.gov.ec/

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