El Barranco architectonic site in Cuenca Ecuador

Located throughout the river Tomebamba, between the bridge of Vergel and The Ford, in their ends, and among the Calle Larga, to the north and the Av. April 12, to the south, El Barranco is one of the cultural most beautiful attracctions in Cuenca.

In the riverside of Tomebamba it is possible to appreciate an atmosphere combined between nature and architectural beauty, only in Ecuador.

A pedestrian road that allows us the north riverside of the river in whose margins are possible to find species of native birds like Tangara Azuliamarilla (Thraupis bonariensis), Picogrueso Southern (Pheuticus chrysogaster) Yellow, Grackle Chiguanco (Turdus chiguanco), Colaespina Cachetilineada (Crenioleuca antisiensis), Swallow Azuliblanca (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca), Quilico (Farco sparverius), steeple (Tito dawn) Owl, Hummingbird blacksmith (Carduellis magellanica).

It is common to observe them in the tomorrow's first hours and when the sun falls. In their bordering streets, the cultural values are conjugated as they are the shops of crafts and the sale of metalwork with art pieces.

Hats of straw shawl, metal work, the embroidery, the sculpture is here of sale. It is possible to observe in the north bank of the river constructions of houses that it would seem that they were laid the foundation since in the air in some cases the foundations of the constructions they are visible. This is the main architectonic value and the ancient colonial architecture of houses.

Several perrons connect to the banks of the river with the historical center of Cuenca that are paved with volcanic rock entirely. For their location and their natural and historical-cultural attributes El Barranco its a point of unique value inside Cuenca, since it separates, in the high part toward the north, the historical center and, in the low part toward the south, the beginning of the new city.

Several encounter points exist and of attraction throughout this journey, for example the broken traditional bridge that was destroyed by the own current of the river Tomebamba, and today its a beautiful mirror point located in the Slope of all the Saints. The bridges of The Ford (El Vado), Vergel, The Perron (La Escalinata) and The Centennial cross the bed of the river and they communicate the avenue 12 of april with the Calle Larga and the Cuenca’s historical center.

For the maintenance and the recovery of this Cuenca’s traditional space, the municipality of the city has established the Foundation El Barranco, that has as purpose to contribute to the organization and urban planning of Cuenca, working in few fields for the development of the area in urban, tourist, transport and architecture with the restoration process for this valuable Cuenca’s architectural site.

This article was produced by the Cuenca Tourism Foundation in order to provide accurate information about the city for up to date information visit the official Cuenca Ecuador Hotels & Tours travel guide

Cuenca Ecuador Official Tours and Hotels Travel Guide
Cuenca Ecuador Hotels, Hostels, Bed & Breakfast & lodges official directory
Cuenca Ecuador Tours
Cuenca Ecuador Airport