Let me tell you a little secret. Sometimes I don’t plan my travels. At all.
When I decided that we would do a brief excursion to Cuenca during our 3 weeks in Ecuador, I figured we would stroll its quaint streets, people-watch at cafes, window-shop the artisanal alleys and pretend we were in Europe. The only planning I did was to purchase our tickets and reserve a place to sleep. I left the rest up to our whims.
We did do those things, but Cuenca was smaller than I expected. We finished seeing almost everything on foot in one full day (granted we’re fast walkers!).
And so, with 2 days remaining, we had to ask ourselves: what are we going to do? We decided to slow down, take a breath, and see the city all over again.
The best part about having 2 more days “stuck” in Cuenca? We went back to the same sights and saw things we didn’t see before. The detail on the edge of a stairwell. The variation of florals in the balconies.
Because wandering slowly through is exactly what Cuenca is for. Its old-world charm and subtle details take time to see. Not to mention, there’s a bustling life (and smog-breathing buses) to look beyond.
First stop was the Catedral Nueva, known for its three blue domes that tower over the rest of Cuenca. Its facade is oddly reminiscent of Notre Dame in Paris, with two towers, a circular stained-glass window, arches, and a stunning door.
We realized as soon as we entered the Catedral that its interior was not quite as fabulous as its exterior, so we figured we would pay the extra dollar to go up its front towers. And man, the view of the city from up high was out of this world!
It’s hard to find anything that will really top this view in Cuenca. Of course, the whole city is nestled in the Andean range, which means there are plenty of ups and downs to enjoy!
One thing that Cuenca has, that Quito doesn’t, is a lively river (Rio Tomebamba) that runs through town. By the river, we found a cozy cafe, pretty homes, a summer market and delicious pasta. Not bad!
During the rest of our time in Cuenca, we simply enjoyed sitting in the plazas, admiring gorgeous facades of colonial buildings, lusting after flowers and fruit at its markets, and people-watching the expats from the US that don’t speak any Spanish.
Wandering these streets is a dream, if you don’t mind the occasional car horn or resulting exhaust– this is a developing area after all, and it’s less of a town than it is a small city.
Still, Cuenca’s museums, galleries, and churches are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen to date. And there’s always a shop or cafe that’s just waiting for visitors to pop in and fall in love.
No plans, no problem.
The one thing I wanted to accomplish in Cuenca was to get a decent photograph of the pretty blue domes on Catedral Nueva. They’re quite difficult to capture on camera, because the church is so tall and surrounded by other less-tall buildings.
We spent a good amount of our time circling the church so that I could get my shot. How odd, in fact– Aaron used to be the one that I had to follow around everywhere for one perfect shot. Roles have reversed, apparently.
And in the end, despite a brief moment of un-harried panic that we’d have nothing to do for two more days in Cuenca, I’m glad we didn’t make any real plans. We indulged our time at the cafes, chatting over decent local coffee. We lingered in plazas to watch pigeons shift their position from one side to the other. We entered shops just to say hello and greet somebody local. Not only is slow travel fantastic, but unplanned travel can be wonderful too.Â
[Tweet “Wandering through colonial Cuenca, Ecuador is a great exercise in unplanned #travel. via @daisylinshih”]
Great to hear from you! So fun that you live in Cuenca. And sorry for the misrepresentation… the specific expats we met did not speak Spanish… but I believe MANY of you do! 🙂
Interesting to view my beloved adopted home through a millennial’s eyes (and good for you for soaking it all up slowly, rather than racing around viewing it from the end of a selfie-stick – kidding!)
I’ve lived here 3 years now (after 2+ in
Vietnam) and still find ever new surprises ’round every cobbled corner. And btw… not *all* we expats from the US “…don’t speak any Spanish.” Some of us have worked very hard and are now quite fluent.
I spent 2 1/2 months in Quito and loved it. Sadly I wasn’t able to go to Cuenca. But I would love to go back to Ecuador and explore more of it.
Awesome, Sadie! Enjoy your visit. 🙂 And 2 weeks is quite a bit of time!! It’s a pretty small town, but I hear you can do day trips from Cuenca!
The photos are beautiful. I will be visiting this lovely town next April for 2 weeks. Your photos bring it alive for me now. I can’t wait!
Thank you, Lara! How exciting! Where will you be visiting?
And I use this the Fuji x100s- it’s a great option if you love photography and it’s really small so perfect for travel! Check it out here: http://amzn.to/1NhhiNQ
this looks so gorgeous!! you really have an eye for beautiful images! i will probably be going to Ecuador this june and i can’t wait!
can you tell me what camera you are using? the images are of incredible quality!!
Ooh yes, Marlen you would love it! And you’re exactly right– I took so many photos that didn’t turn out well; these were the best ones. And thank you! 🙂 The views there were pretty great because of all the ups and downs!
oh my goodness, this looks like another world! I could spend hours upon hours just walking around and staring at the architecture. my favorite thing to do while traveling is just meandering around streets and blocks, so this would be days of fun for me. I can only imagine how many photos you took haha everything looks so ridiculously picturesque! I especially love the photo you took of the caars and people on the street- something about it makes me feel like im standing right there.
xo marlen
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Thanks Christine!! Oh, and you’d fit right in 😉
Thanks girl!! 🙂
Isn’t it gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by, Sara! 🙂
Such beautiful photographs! You definitely captured Ecuador’s beauty! I would totally be one of those people who can’t speak Spanish that you would watch lol :p
These photos are beautiful, Daisy!
Holy moly this looks absolutely AMAZING! I’ve never been anywhere in South America and I’m absolutely itching to go! Your pictures do a great job of capturing the city! And it’s pretty much exactly how I pictured it to look!
And ohhhh my goodness that church! How beautiful! SO SO glad I found your post on the Travel Tuesday linkup!
Hopefully in the next year!!!!
Cuenca really is beautiful, but I actually liked Quito more! There’s more to see and more to do in Quito. Cuenca’s a bit cleaner, but in my book, it’s Quito for the win!
Oh yes! This place is absolutely beautiful Anna! I think you’d find it inspiring. 🙂
Yes it’s so so beautiful!!
I love slow and unplanned travel!! I’m so glad you have so many wonderful pictures – I never went to Cuenca while I was in Ecuador but now I’m wishing I had! It looks sooo beautiful 🙂
I rarely plan these days, except for getting accommodation and transportation in/out. I really hate planning for some reason!! I just don’t have the patience to do it. I like to just get to my destination and wander around on my own, stopping at whatever looks interesting. The problem is that I do miss a lot of things to do/see due to the lack of research! I LOVE the blue domes! And the interior is just as beautiful. This looks like the perfect town to wander and get lost in!
Wow. This country is stunning! I sort of think some of the best trips are unplanned spur of the moment ideas. It really opens you up to possibility. (:
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It was phenomenal! Ooh when are you going to South America??
Thank you Jo-Anne!! 🙂
That’s a great idea Linda! It’s always good to have some idea what there is to see– and then we can decide whether to see it once we’re there!
Thanks Monica! It really was perfect! and yes, we were only in Cuenca a few days– I think I’d only do unplanned if we were staying in a city we already knew well and had plenty of time to explore and wander!
Yes yes yes! Reading books for the second time (or even long articles!) can mean gleaning details we missed before. That is so true! And thank you!
Yes exactly! The details here were incredible!
Thanks Summer! Cathedrals are really special, aren’t they? and yes I like picking a destination and then getting there to figure it out!
Thanks Emily!!
Thanks Whitney!! 🙂
haha, I try! 😉 And those blue domes were basically the reason I knew I had to go to Cuenca!
Thank you Shannon! The city was truly stunning.
I know, right? I think when we can relax and know that nothing’s going to go wrong, we can enjoy a place and let our whims lead us!
Thanks so much Marcella!! And wow– what a flexible traveler you are! Teach me your ways. 😉
haha! Well, it was a short excursion from Quito so it was easier for me to let go. And I’ve never gone on a trip without booking a hotel. I’m not that daring! 😉
Thanks girl! So glad you did take a whole week there– the photos were so so gorgeous. I agree that sometimes staying in one town is more valuable than going all over the place!
Thank you, Renee! That’s so sweet of you!
Thanks girl!! It was such fun, and really great for going back and taking better photos of each sight! I hope you make it to Ecuador– there’s a ton to love there! And since you speak Spanish already, navigating won’t be hard!
Absolutely gorgeous! Saving this to help plan my trip to South America! 🙂
One wonderful photo after another
I have a fear of lack of control which I handle this way: before we go I make lists of things we can do if we chose to do so then we only do those things that suits our moods at the time. That leaves room to include things we didn’t even know about before we left. It is a wonderful way to travel.
These photos are so lovely! This looks like the perfect place to do an
unplanned, slow adventure 🙂 Other than short weekend road trips, I
can’t say that I’ve ever gone on a trip without it being completely
unplanned otherwise I’d have a little bit of anxiety!
What a gorgeous city! And well done with your photos, as usual. 🙂 I love that you guys redid you first day of touring the city, but slower, instead of just moving on to something else. Your description of seeing new things the second time around makes me think of what it’s like to a read a favorite book for a second time, where you’re picking up on so many new things and interesting details that make it come to life even more. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful reflections and beautiful photos with us!
Absolutely gorgeous! I love that you said you went back to the same sites and noticed more details. Isn’t it amazing how much value there is in something like that? All the intricacies…love it!
What gorgeous photos. I love seeing different cathedrals because they’re absolutely breath-taking. Michael probably won’t be able to travel too much yet, but the littler trips we’ve taken over the past couple years we just plan where we’re going, but not what we’re going to do. It’s been fun!
Wow! Beautiful photos!
I adore these photos, absolutely stunning!!
The blue domes against the sky is breathtaking!!! I admire your easy-going attitude, Daisy. 🙂
What a beautiful city! I love that you don’t plan your trips, I think that allows for a bit more fun and exploration than when everything is scheduled down to the minute. Your pictures are absolutely stunning and definitely has me wishing I was exploring Cuenca right about now!
Shannon
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It’s funny, it seems like the more I travel, the less I plan! There is something beautiful about just exploring a place naturally and slowly without a stressful schedule or trying to cram in all the must-sees. Your photos are beautiful as always, and I’d say you definitely got some great shots of the blue domes!
Gorgeous gorgeous photos! I am a similar type of traveller; I don’t make plans aside from booking a flight and sometimes accommodation. I love going with the flow and also seeing what people recommend while I am there, that is the way that it works for me 🙂
I am such a control freak planner (I’m working on it, hah!) that I’ve never traveled somewhere unplanned like this, but it sounds like a great way to get to learn the ins and outs and soak in all the beautiful details while just exploring!!
So beautiful, Daisy! I felt this same way about Chania. I gave myself the week there, because I wanted to savor everything about the town. I know I will be back to see everything else. But that time of slowly exploring one town was great!
Oh my goodness!! This place looks gorgeous!! Your photos are amazing. My favorite is the white building with all of the birds in front of it!
Renee | Lose The Road
This is BEAUTIFUL! I love how you were able to wander around slowly and capture all these unique details. You have a gorgeous array of landscapes, candids and beautiful travel photos. You should be a pro travel photographer 🙂 Just saying! And the message of unplanned travel is such a good one! I think we can sometimes purchase a tour or a travel package with everything planned out, but from studying abroad, I truly value having time to explore on your own and experience all the uniqueness of a certain city. Can’t wait to add Cuenca to my Wanderlust list! 🙂