Cuenca restaurant rated one of best in South America in TripAdvisor reviews; City hotels also rate high

Cuenca is well-represented in TripAdvisor’s 2018 Travelers Choice Awards, with a historic district restaurant being picked as one of the best in South America and several hotels included among the best in Ecuador.

According to TripAdvisor, Tiestos is one of the best restaurants in South America.

Tiestos, in the historic district, was named to the list of the region’s top restaurants that was dominated by establishments in Peru, Chile and Argentina.

In addition, Cuenca’s Oro Verde, Mansión Alcázar, Kuna, Los Balcones, Victoria, and the Santa Lucia hotels were rated among the best in their categories in Ecuador, which include, large, boutique, and small hotels. With the exception of Kuna, all are located in the historic district.

In the category for economy lodging, Hotel Apartamentos Otorongo, Casa San Rafael, Hostal Macondo ranked in the top 15 in the country.

Among hostals, Casa Ordóñez ranks fourth in the country, while Inés María is ninthe.

The Travelers Choice Awards also recognized top museums and tourist attractions, naming the private Museum of Aboriginal Cultures and public Pumapungo Museum on Calle Larga among the top ten in Ecuador. Cuenca’s cathedral and the archaeological complex of Ingapirca also made Ecuador’s top ten attractions list, according to TripAdvisor.

According to the director of the Cuenca Tourism Foundation, the new awards represent the highest level recognition for the city’s restaurants, hotels and tourist attraction in the 18-year history of the Travelers Choice Awards. “These awards are especially important because tourists are the ones who choose the winners through their own experiences,” says Juan Pablo Vanegas, president of the Azuay Hotel Association.

The Travelers Choice Awards cover dozens of categories and, according to several travel and tourism organizations, are the most effective in the world for generating traffic for hospitality businesses and attractions.

So who do travelers say serves the best pizza in Cuenca? By popular vote, it’s Pizzalacqua followed by Fabiano’s and Tutto Matto.