Carnaval events in nearby communities; Cuenca’s motepata aims for the record books; 5G begins Cuenca installation; Take a gastronomic tour of Paute

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del viernes, 6/2) Azuay listo para feriado (Azuay ready for the holiday) – The Carnaval holiday will be from el sábado, 14/2 to el martes, 17/2. Besides Cuenca, there are other places with their own attractions to visit.

Paute is 41 km. northeast of Cuenca and has the following attractions.
“El Imperio del Cuy” farm, is a traditional cuy farm in the Bulán parish. <If you think of cuyes as pets, maybe it would be better to pass on this.>

Cuenca is aiming for a Guinness World Record next Saturday when local chefs will serve motepata to thousands in San Francisco Plaza. (El Mercurio)

Mirador San Antonio de Padua, is located before the parish center with a panoramic view of the “paraiso de las frutas.” (fruit paradise) <And fruits in this case doesn’t refer to a paradise for people of a certain sexual orientation. I try not to be too mean, but I never claimed to be politically correct.>

Parish center of Bulán – Visit the parish church with its rustic architecture. Enjoy tasting fruit based artesanal liquors at Frutilan ($4.00). Sample ice creams with flavors such as “pears with wine”, “figs and manjar,” and “piña colada.”

Granjas Frutales – (Antonio Delgado y Quinta Lucia). Join a guided tour of agro-ecological gardens. $2.00.

Gualaceo is 36 km. east of Cuenca in the watershed of the Santa Bárbara River.
Casa Museo de la Macana -The home of the Jménez family is dedicated to the weaving of ikat clothing. $1.00 per person, open from 8:00-19:00, Monday-Sunday.
Fritadas de Cértag – Pig out on typical food such as fritada <fried pork chunks>, cascaritas <pieces of crispy pork skin – at least it should be crispy>, pollo a la brasa, papas con cuero, morcillas, etc.
Laguna Maylas – This lake is located in a cloud forest 3,000 m.s.n.m. (meters above sea level) and has spectacled bears, foxes, rabbits, and various birds.

Sígsig is 60 km. southeast of Cuenca.
Fortaleza de Duma – This archeological site was built by the cacique (chief) Duma as a possible refuge or temple. Free. It is located on the vía to Chobshi, 250 meters from the Cueva Negra.

Museo de Sitio de Duma – The museum has archeological pieces and the history of the region. $3.00 with hours from 10:00-16:00. It is located 1 km from the Fortaleza.

Shabalula (Ingapirca de Shabalula) – This is constructed from pirca, a dry stone wall located on the vía Chobshi, 1.5 km. from the Fortaleza de Duma. Free.

Ruta de las Guitarras – This is in San Bartolomé, which has a tradition of building guitars, charangos, ukuleles, and other instruments.

Chordeleg is 42 km from Cuenca in the watershed of the Santa Bárbara River.
Museo Municipal de Chordeleg – The museum has over 100 archeological, artisanal, and ethnographic pieces. The biggest candonga <sounds vaguely pornographic> in the world is on show in the City (Calle Juan Bautista Cobos y Eloy Alfaro (Casa González).) Hours are from 10:00-13:00 & 14:00- 17:00 from miércoles to domingo.
Lagunas de Principal – “Tres Lagunas” is the Andean páramo at 3,400 m.s.n.m. with animals such as tanagers, snakes <that’s probably a deal killer for some of you>, deer, foxes and spectacled bears. Access: from Cuenca 42km. + 18km to Principal. $1.00, and you have to have a guide. <Probably to screen out those folks who’d go up there intending to bag Bambi for dinner or to hang on their wall.> Coordinate with the Parish GAD. Call 593 098 333 5724 or 593 07 229 4113.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 7/2) Tranzas y Cabas en Día de San Valentín (Tranzas y Cabas on Valentine’s Day) – Cuenca is preparing for a special night with the Ecuadorian band Tranzas and the Colombian singer Cabas on el viernes, 13/2 a las 21:00 in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. Tickets are available at La Victoria and the Meet2Go platform as well as the official channels for the event. Presales are in their final phase.

Hungry? –
(De El Mercurio del sábado, 7/2) Motepata va en busca de un Guinness (Motepata looking for a Guinness World Record) – San Francisco Plaza will be the scene el sábado 14/2 when thousands of people gather to enjoy 9,500 plates of motepata with the goal of getting a Guinness world record and bringing the city new international recognition. The city began the effort last year, and a delegation from Guinness came to Cuenca to verify the information and officialize Cuenca as the location where the biggest amount of motepata in the world will be prepared. The city is using Nidia Vásquez’s recipe. She is the author of “Ashanga, Cocina Morlaca.” The majority of the ingredients were acquired from local mercados and include huge quantities of peeled corn, pork, bacon, longaniza, sambo, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, milk, oil, and achiote as well as lots of water. Of the 9,500 plates, 1,500 will go to vulnerable groups in the city. The other 8,000 plates will be sold for $2.00 each with the funds raised going to strengthening savings and credit unions of women in rural areas was served in eco-friendly containers. 30 professional cooks will be in charge of making the motepata with the help of a team of 100 people.

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 8/2) ¡Azuay…mucho gusto! – In order to promote the culinary delights and natural landscapes of our province, the Prefectura has created a gastronomic route that invites local and foreign tourists to submerge themselves in a sensory voyage. A few meters from the center of Paute, there is a 15 hectare hacienda which is the seat of one of the most prestigious rums in the region that has been produced for over 40 years by Enrique Torres. The route starts with a tour of the plantations of cane, olives, orchids and other crops. Visitors can be involved in the process through which the cane is ground by a trapiche (sugar mill – your word for the day) to get a sweet liquid called guarapo which is served at that moment. You can also taste <gnaw on> small pieces of sugar cane. Also on the tour is a dark space in which the liquor is aged, distilled and matured in large oak barrels. There will also be an opportunity to taste mistelas, cocktails and 4 shots of rum of different ages, all served with olives, breads, queso fresco, toasted maíz, tortilla chips, and guacamole. Make reservations for los viernes, sábados, y domingos from 10-16:00 on WhatsApp 099 945 5293 or on Instagram @lostorresron. Cost: $45.00.

The Corvel Restaurant is an emblem of gastronomy in Paute. On an interesting route, chef Patricio Coronel offers an experiential journey to discover the secrets of the celebrated Pauteño flavor. The tour starts with a short walk through the streets of Paute to, Srta. Rivero’s 80 year old tienda. It offers traditional golosinas such as pan de mollete made with wheat and rye flour, seasonal fruit and manjares. Next comes a visit to the Mercado “26 de Febrero” where the diner, with chef Coronel’s guidance, will pick the ingredients for the famous locro soup: cheese, onion, peppers, garlic, avocado, cilantro, mote, and chaucha and Cecilia potatoes.

After grocery shopping, the journey continues to the Heladería Central where you can try an unusual ice cream made from potatoes from the area. The ice cream is topped with grated potatoes. It has an unconventional texture and flavor. Back at Corvel Restaurant, you can see “Ruta de la Caña,” an entertaining history of how the Zhumir aguardiente is made. Spin the roulette wheel and try different types of liquor such as canuto, ‘Pecho Suco’, naranjilla, peach, mango, coconut, watermelon and more. This experience continues with a cooking class to prepare the locro from peeling potatoes, making the refrito, slow cooking it in clay pots, to plating the presentation with ají of pepa de sambo (squash seeds), fresh avocados, cheese and mote. At the end, you can enjoy the soup with yaguana, a typical drink and a buñuelo. Make reservations at 099 684 9093 or at info@restaurantecorvel.com. Cost: $25.00.

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del jueves, 5/2) Amaru rescató, en 2025, 431 animales silvestres (In 2025, Amaru rescued 431 wild animals) – The Amaru Bioparque Cuenca, in its annual report, said it rescued 431 wild animals. Most of them from confiscations or cases of illegal possession. They are worried that the illegal traffic in species continues and 17% of the animals arriving in bad condition do not survive. Of the total rescues, 30% are rehabilitated and released back into their natural habitats. The rest of them stay at Amaru since they are not in condition to return to the wild.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 7/2) CNT lanza red 5G en Cuenca (CNT launches 5G network in Cuenca) – The Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT EP) officially launched 5G in Cuenca as part of a gradual rollout in Ecuador. Cuenca has now been added to the cities with 5G technology after the installation of 6 radio bases. The initial coverage will be in sectors of high turnout and activity such as the Clínica La Paz, San Blas, Miraflores and the Terminal Terrestre. CNT started implementing 5G in diciembre in Salinas, then in Olón and Montañita in enero, 2025 (? sic). Manta and Ambato will get it in febrero, and until junio de 2026, coverage will be extended to other cities.