El Vado Traditional Neighborhood

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Places to visit within 30 km.

Coffee Tasting at Tierra Diabla

Tierra Diabla. Exciting name for a small coffee shop in El Vado. It is part of the cultural scene in the neighborhood. The atmosphere around it is very special. A few meters from La Cruz, in front of the square and viewpoint. The landscapes and sunsets are unforgettable. You can enjoy them while having a cup of coffee and a dessert. The menu of Tierra Diabla is intimately linked to the Ecuadorian coffee culture. To the tradition of making coffee in the style of the grandmother. Rich and bitter house coffee. It is the connection with memories and emotions. The main ingredient is fresh Arabica coffee beans from the highlands, grown in Santa Isabel, in the south of the province of Azuay. Roasted and ground. The cafecito is also a center of culture, art gallery, design and applied art store. With its tables extended towards the plaza, there is space to listen to good music. The International Coffee Day is celebrated here every October 1st. In November it serves purple colada and bread guaguas. To accompany the coffee, nothing better than a 100% cocoa brownie. That's not all. Nonna" Diabla's suggestions include carrot and pineapple pies, cookies from her own recipe book, eggplants and baked tomatoes with cheese. Sicilian bread, fogaccio, sandwiches, doughnuts, lemonade or Mama Huma... the perfect place to clear your mind, clear your head, wake up your taste buds with something out of the ordinary. It offers the service of selling coffee in bulk, by the pound. Ana Benavides is the barista, guide of Tierra Diabla, a professional in high quality Ecuadorian coffee. She creates new and different drinks based on it, using milk, essences and liquors. She knows the art of latte or coffee with milk, with designs on its surface. Cuenca is no exception within the world-wide current of specialty coffee. Local baristas like Ana, with their talent and the use of the national product, have become the alternative to international chains. Tierra Diabla puts its share of effort into positioning national coffee. Ecuador cultivates 2 species of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. The crops are grown throughout the territory, even in Galapagos. There are coffee plantations in 20 of the 24 provinces of the country.

0.02 Km.

El Prohibido Cultural Center

The Forbidden Cultural Center leaves no one indifferent. It breaks schemes, it cannot be pigeonholed. Located in La Condamine Street, up from El Vado. Since 1996 the place is a reference of the cultural activity in the city of Cuenca. The Moscoso-Íñiguez family is the manager. Martha and Eduardo, with the support of their children, turned their home into an unusual, mysterious and at the same time attractive space. All the alternative cultural manifestations have a space here, from the diverse artistic genres like music, theater, painting, sculpture, cinema, video art, among others. It develops a special agenda for presentations of contemporary rock bands, showing on stage mainly new groups. Dozens of new artists, for example in theatre, have made their debut there. The Museum of Extreme Art of El Prohibido exhibits the artistic creations of Eduardo Moscoso, who makes incursions into the erotic, vitalist, thanatological, exotic, anti-religious and narcissistic styles of the neo-gothic movement and the neo-baroque movement. This is definitely a space in which, with each visit, the observer finds new and surprising details. It is an excellent place to have a cold or hot drink, to taste a good coffee or to have a snack. It has a room for artistic presentations of all genres. After a quarter of a century of opening its doors, El Prohibido continues to give space to the artistic development of the urban cultures of Cuenca and the new generations of local and national artists. It has also been an important actor in the cultural and social development of El Vado. It manages and carries out various open-air activities, promoting the use of public space in the neighbourhood and the city, with the organisation of craftsmen, artists and entrepreneurs.

0.08 Km.

10 de Agosto Market

Interest : Culture Type: Food and Supply Market Class : Urban Friendly with: children, families, seniors Relevant categories : Historic Center of Cuenca, Cultural Heritage of Humanity UNESCO - Within the Macizo del Cajas Biosphere Reserve UNESCO - Within Cuenca, National Cultural Heritage of Ecuador Hours : Monday to Sunday 07:00 - 18:00. The Historic Center of the city of Cuenca has three popular markets: August 10, October 9 and November 3, which curiously represent the three main dates of the Ecuadorian Independence process. Of these, the Mercado 10 de Agosto is the most central; a total mix of people, smells, colors and tastes. Visiting it may seem like a bizarre experience, but soon after being on the site this feeling disappears and despite its modernist structure, inside it preserves the characteristics of a popular Andean market intact. It was inaugurated on November 3, 1954. Years ago they remodeled it, placing two escalators to access the second floor, the food court. And on its façade, local artists painted three enormous murals in which they represented the symbols of Cuencanity: The Cathedral, the Plaza de los Flores, the Chola Cuencana and the Barranco. Tourists are surprised to find escalators in such a popular place. It has become a gastronomic custom for visitors to go to the food stalls on the upper floor, due to their cheap prices and because there they can consume a variety of traditional and typical dishes of Cuencan and Ecuadorian food: pork hornado, potatoes with leather or "crazy potatoes", corn or "mote" in its different preparations, potato tortilla or "llapingacho", lunches, smoothies and much more. The 10 de Agosto Market is also famous for its section of medicinal plants where it is possible to access an ancient healing method known as "clean", a process that has been inherited from generation to generation of herbalists and herbalists, vendors who know the properties plant healing. Vegetables, meats, handicrafts, fruits, sweets, all kinds of supplies and above all the spontaneous affection of people for foreigners, are part of this small world. Source: Fundación Municipal Turismo para Cuenca

0.22 Km.

Casa de la Mujer (Woman's House) craft center

The Centro Municipal Artesanal (CEMUART)-Casa de la Mujer, promotes the fair commercialization of Cuenca's artisan products, since 1998. CEMUART is located in an old patrimonial house, in front of San Francisco Square, in the Historical Center. Inside, there are more than a hundred commercial premises with all kinds of handicrafts. Tourists can find almost the entire range of souvenirs to take home to family and friends. Toquilla straw hats, silver and gold filigree jewelry, textiles, wood carvings, ceramics, basketry, tagua, Andean musical instruments, glass, leather objects such as belts, bags and wallets, etc. A special place to find a gift, all under the same roof. The name Casa de la Mujer has its origin in the need to emphasize the important role of women in the artisan trades and their ability to perform them as a life option and to maintain their homes. Although the site is very well located and easily accessible, organized craftsmen and women take advantage of holidays and important dates in the city to hold outdoor fairs in much more central locations such as the block of the Cathedral, Sucre Street and Benigno Malo. CEMUART is an encounter with design, color, variety and cultural influence from all over the world. Its craftsmen and women are duly qualified. The cultural richness of Cuenca exhibited in these small stands puts something for all tastes within reach. The interior courtyard and its premises are covered. Buying handicrafts has this comfort even on rainy days. A nice feature is the dialogue that the visitor can initiate with the artisans, while watching their work and products. When people visit Cuenca, they want to know where they can find a souvenir. Bring a little culture. If there is no time to shop, you should go to the Casa de la Mujer. It's an option that could save a long walk around the city.

0.28 Km.

San Francisco Square, Market & Church

San Francisco Square is located in the Historical Center of Cuenca and contains three spaces of very dynamic social relations: The Square, the Church, and the Little Square. The Plaza of San Francisco is important for the history of Cuenca, since 1558, one year after the Foundation, Gil Ramírez Dávalos destined this site as a public space for the exchange and sale of agricultural products or "Plaza de la Feria". Therefore, the use given to this Plaza was never changed over the centuries. For 60 years, stalls selling all kinds of clothing have been located here. The artisans of Otavalo are very popular in San Francisco. They come from an aboriginal ethnic group from the province of Imbabura in the north of Ecuador. They for sale in the portals products such as ponchos, scarves, hats and shawls, articles woven with alpaca or llama wool. It is a unique place, full of color and interculturality, where it is possible to resort to an ancient custom, the "bargaining". The current commercial use is mainly for non-perishable products: clothes, shoes, household items, etc. In 2019 the Square was reopened, after undergoing modernization works, with the expansion of public space and the relocation of the stalls of 120 vendors in the side areas. A water fountain, new lighting, street furniture and obstacles to the view were removed in order to improve security. Visitors to the Plaza San Francisco can now move around more comfortably for cultural, religious or craft tourism. The Pasaje León, the Casa de la Mujer and the Centro Municipal Artesanal (CEMUART) were integrated into the Plaza. Next to the Square, the neoclassical San Francisco Church was completed in 1789. During the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century the chruch underwent several readjustments and remodeling. It was the seat of the Franciscan religious community until the 19th century, hence the origin of its name. Its most valuable asset is the high altar covered in gold leaf and important works of religious art. The Plazoleta (a piazza), which is integrated as a single complex to the church, is currently used for public performances, social and cultural events in the city.

0.31 Km.

Modern Art Municipal Museum (MMAM)

The Municipal Museum of Modern Art (MMAM), has a prestigious and solid cultural background. It is located in the Historical Center of Cuenca (Ecuador), a UNESCO World Heritage city. The Museum temporarily exhibits modern art works by contemporary national and foreign artists. The rooms of the Museum are permanent headquarters of the International Art Biennial. Its reserve holds a large pictorial collection, which has been growing for 40 years. In addition, the Museum runs a program of activities and dissemination of art, dedicated to children, youth and older adults. The Museum was inaugurated on August 1, 1981. It was Hernán Crespo's initiative to recover the house from its destruction and restore it. The history of its use over the years is curious. Bishop Miguel León ordered its construction in the 19th century, as a refuge for alcoholics or "Casa de la Temperancia” (House of Temperance). It later served as a men's prison, nursing home, children's home, work school, and health center. The architecture of the building is old, with institutional purposes. Its doorway is in the neo-Gothic style. The interior is organized around an old chapel, in the center of the Museum. Around it there are several courtyards with portals. The chapel has a mural painting by Nicolás Vivar where a large painting with the parable of the prodigal son stands out. The First International Painting Biennial of Cuenca was inaugurated in 1987 in the Museum of Modern Art. It was conducted by Eudoxia Estrella, the first director of the MMAM. The Museum has an Art Reserve. It offers the service of workshops. The Information Office displays a collection of posters of the exhibitions held and the library specializes in art.

0.32 Km.