Cuenca was not always called Cuenca.
At the time of the cañari culture, so around the 6th century, we would go to Guapondeleg, which means “Land as large as the paradise”. You will discover this ancient culture visiting the archeological site of Ingapirca.
And then came the Incas who renamed the city Tomebamba, just before the Spanish arrive and create the new city of Cuenca in 1557, which was firstly called “Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca”.
Nowadays the third city in Ecuador, Cuenca could maintain the charm of the small village it was times before. The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site, and we easily understand why.