
Ecuadorians consider it the most beautiful city, a most peaceful and relaxing setting. One of the first things you notice when entering the city is the magnificent skyline marked by shining church domes. Cuenca’s cobblestone streets, winding rivers, graceful ironwork balconies, and beautiful gardens are part of the pleasant atmosphere of this historical city. The UNESCO declared Cuenca a World Cultural Heritage Site on December 1999.
The first name of the city was "Guapondelig", that in the Cañari language means "a plain as big as the sky". The Cañaris were the indigenous group that lived in the region before the arrival of the Incas. In the last decades of the XV century, the Incas built the city of "Tumipamba" ("Tumi" meaning ridge and "pamba" meaning plain), over this Cañari settlement. This city was located along the Inca highway that joined Cusco with Quito When the Spanish arrived, they called the city "Tomebamba". Finally, it was baptized as the city of "Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca" (Santa Ana of the Four Rivers of Cuenca).