Cuenca’s historic district overflows with coastal tourists on weekends; Some of them are moving here

By Linda Mason

“Why is El Centro so crowded on weekends?” a caller to a Cuenca radio station asked last week. “Parque Calderon is full of people. The sidewalks are overflowing. There is standing room only in the tranvia,” she said.

What’s going on?”

Coastal visitors are providing an economic boost to Cuenca’s historic district. They started coming during the Covid pandemic and come today to escape drug gang violence.

The answer is simple, the program host answered: “It’s all the Guayaquileños,” he said. “They’re coming up here to escape.”

Romero Vasquez, a psychology professor at Cuenca’s Catholic University, agrees and says his family is an example. “My family is from Guayaquil, and they don’t feel comfortable going out at night or on weekends because of the violence over there,” he said. “They know Cuenca is safe and they feel comfortable walking around the historic district, going to restaurants, to shows and doing things that tourists enjoy. Generally, they can do the things they once did in Guayaquil but can’t do anymore.”

Vasques says he hosts his brother, sister and cousins on weekends. “We have to schedule the visits since we only have two extra bedrooms,” he said. “We’re fully booked with the family until next March.”

Hotel owner and former vice president of the local tourism board Joshua Izurieta says coastal tourism is providing a critical economic boost to Cuenca. “These are hard times financially, so we are thrilled to have all the visitors,” he says. “From Thursday to Sunday, many of the hotels and hostels in El Centro are full and many of the restaurants are too,” he says, adding that he estimates coastal tourists add as much as 25% to sales in the historic district.

Not everyone benefits from the tourism, Izurieta points out. “The tourism is concentrated in El Centro so many areas of the city see little or no benefit,” he says.

He adds: “What we have found is that the Guayaquileños have fallen in love with the historic district. They love the compact size, the architecture, the small shops and the architecture. They like to ride the tranvia. It is not only an escape from the crime and insecurity, it’s an escape from the big city and all the problems that involves besides crime.”

Izurieta points out that increased coastal tourism began long before the current gang and cartel violence made headlines in Guayaquil and other coastal cities. “They started coming to Cuenca during the pandemic, in 2020,” he says. “Many middle class Guayaquileños went to the coast or flew to Colombia or Peru for weekends and holidays but that wasn’t possible with Covid. They picked Cuenca as an alternative and have never stopped coming.”

Vasquez says he has assured his family that Cuenca and the sierra will remain safe. “They were concerned that the crime on the coast would migrate to the mountains, but I’ve explained that it’s a different culture up here. That’s why Cuenca and other cities in the intermountain valley have not seen an increase in crime and, in fact, have seen a decline in many areas.”

According to the mayor’s office, some of the coastal visitors have decided to move to Cuenca. “They want to get away from the trouble over there and are looking for a more peaceful, casual life,” says Gustavo Parra of the municipal tourism office. “Real estate companies have seen an increase in sales recently and almost all of it is from people from Guayaquil, Manta and other cities in the ocean region.”

Parra adds that some North American and European expats are also relocating to Cuenca from the coast. “They are coming for the same reasons as the Guayaquileños.”