Cuenca named ‘Best City in South America’ in new survey; Police, military target private Guayaquil ports; City cracks down on El Centro street vendors

Cuenca has received another “best in class” distinction, being named the “Best City in South America” by the World Travel Index. The city’s new number one ranking follows earlier designations as the safest city in Latin America and best for quality of life by the international database service Numbeo.

In announcing the new ranking, World Travel Index said that Cuenca had “overtaken long-time favorites Cusco, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro to claim the #1 spot for 2026.”

Cuenca continues to earn high media rankings, being named the “Best City in South America” by the World Travel Index.

“Our analysis shows that Cuenca’s unique combination of exceptionally high safety scores in South America, affordability, and authentic cultural depth has propelled it to the top,” World Travel Index reported. “While other major hubs have struggled with rising costs or safety concerns, Cuenca has maintained a high-value proposition that resonates strongly with modern global travelers.”

In determining its rankings, World Travel Index scores cities and countries on a 0 to 100 scale that considers cost, activities, safety and infrastructure. Click here to see the Index’s full 2026 report

Police, military target private Guayaquil ports
National police and the armed forces carried out simultaneous operations Thursday at two privately operated ports in Guayaquil. According to Interior Minister John Reimberg, the operations are a response to frequent cases of extortion, robbery and threats against truck drivers and dock workers at the terminals.

Reimberg said the Naportec Terminal and Guayaquil Port Terminal (TPG), located south of the city, had become centers of criminal activity in recent months. “Our intervention involves patrolling the access roads into and out of the ports, conducting inspections of trucks delivering goods for export and inspection of shipping containers before they are loaded onto ships,” he said.

Reimberg added that by extortion, threats and bribes, inspection of the cargo at the ports has been “compromised” and that large quantities of cocaine was being loaded on container ships. “Our operations today are part of a continuing presence at Naportec and TPG,” he said. “Our message to drug traffickers is that we are not going away.”

During Thursday’s operations, several arrests were made and an unknown quantity of cocaine was seized, Reimberg said.

City cracks down on El Centro street vendors
Following complaints from businesses and tourism officials, the Cuenca Citizen Guard will increase efforts to control street vendors in the central historic district. According to Xavier Aguirre, director of the Historic Areas Office, the number of unlicensed vendors in El Centro has increased dramatically in recent months.

“These people are harassing visitors to Parque Calderon, Santo Domingo Plaza, la calle del Artistas and other areas in the center, and are taking business away from licensed businesses and vendors in the area,” he said. “The vendors have been attracted by the large increase in visitors to the city over the past year.”

Aguirre added that the city is imposing a 15 day per month limit on the time licensed vendors can occupy sales tents on calle Sucre beside the cathedral.