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Azogues Ecuador: An Easy Day Trip From Cuenca

We recently spent some time in Azogues, a small city not far from Cuenca. It has a population of around 40,000 and, although it’s in a different province, is considered part of the Cuenca Metropolitan area.

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Visiting Azogues Ecuador

Azogues is about a 40-minute drive from Cuenca, it’s the capital of Cañar Province. You’ll pass it on your way to Ingapirca Ecuador’s largest Inca ruins.

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Driving from Cuenca to Azogues
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Azogues as seen from the highway.

 Taking a Walk in Azogues, Ecuador

We enjoyed walking around the town, it reminded us a lot of Cuenca. We saw some similar architecture and some of the same culture dress as in Cuenca.

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The park in the center of town was a nice spot to relax and people watch.

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Walking up to the park in the center of the city.
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We thought we should be on best behavior at the park or he might bring the hammer down 🙂

Where We Stayed In Azogues Ecuador: Hotel Paraiso

We stayed at Hotel Paraiso. It was nice and had a pool which our daughter really enjoyed. There was also a little park across the street with a pond and paddle boats.

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Our room at Hotel Paraiso, Azogues

The hotel has a restaurant and offers room service.

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Restaurant at Hotel Paraiso
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Park across from Hotel Paraiso

On the other side of the road, there was a river with grassy banks and a park-like area. We crossed the river to walk up to the park in the center of town.

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Azogues is known for its Panama hats, most of which are exported.

There is a village and archaeological site nearby called Cojitambo where you can go rock climbing and take in an amazing view. The climate in Azogues is very similar to Cuenca, so bring some sweaters and don’t forget your sunblock and umbrella.

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(To read more about Ecuador check out these popular books.)

Get a glimpse into Azogues Ecuador with this time-lapse video of one of the principal intersections in the city.
Azogues is a short drive from Cuenca and offers a more relaxed pace of life. This is one of the many towns near Cuenca that can be easily visited on a day trip.

The city is not that large – around 40,000 inhabitants according to some sources – and looks quite livable.

Azogues Ecuador Time Lapse Video

You might enjoy this time-lapse video from Isabela Island, Galapagos. This sunset is my favorite so far.

Interested to create your own time-lapse? Here are the settings to create a time lapse video.

Have you been to Azogues Ecuador? Please share your comments here.

Chris Monty

Friday 31st of May 2019

Hi, this is my first post so I will try not to inundate you with too much of my blabber :). My wife and I are Canadian and together we’ve been to Ecuador a couple of times now. Her family is from the area (Azogues and Cuenca) and that convenience has allowed me to (safely and comfortably) experience the areas of Cuenca, Azogues and Biblian (amongst other areas). I really liked Azogues, it is a very nice city to visit and would even consider buying an apartment there. We were there in 2003 and then again in 2017, both times in July, and as far as weather goes it was just fine from my (Cdn/Ottawa) perspective. For the few weeks we were there it was anywhere between 14C-25C, very comfortable in my view. Of note, I typically suffer from allergies to pollen/grass, everything that grows in Ottawa and by July I’m usually suffering, but whilst in Azogues/Cuenca, nothing! Literally no need for antihistamines during my entire trip there, can’t explain it but it was great. One thing I will say however is that whilst the quality of the air around the area was light, fresh and cool that all changes when you’re stuck in a car on a busy downtown road in Cuenca on a warm day. The stench of gas fumes lingering around at ground level on those streets is terrible and my wife and I both immediately recognized it, then again it’s hard not to notice burning eyes, smell of exhaust etc., terrible for our (any) young children. It appears they have not instituted any vehicular emissions controls and that’s a shame because they have such (apparently) clean /fresh air they should want to keep it that way, at any rate that’s one of my main criticisms. Other than that, I really enjoyed any of the trips we made there, so much so that I would have no issue investing some money in buying an apartment or condo in Azogues, or (most likely) nearby Cuenca. Again, I’m saying this knowing that from our perspective we have the family connection nearby those areas. I grew up in a city in Southern Ontario much around the same size as Azogues so from that perspective I felt “at home”, my wife on the other hand grew up in Toronto and despite the fact that her entire family is from Azogues/Cuenca she much prefers the larger size of Cuenca. That’s not to say she does not enjoy Azogues for what it is (a smaller city) (she in fact lived there as a child for about 4yrs) but she enjoys the variety and offerings of Cuenca, or any of the other larger cities, over Azogues. Which leads me to shopping. Let me say you’re not going to Azogues to shop, you’re not finding any Ralph Lauren or Tommy outlets but they do have markets for lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and I really liked seeing the number/variety of “ma-and-pa” shops, I really like that. Not seeing the big-box stores was great! Duck into a few of the family run businesses and look around, I found the shop keepers/staff to be friendly but yes, if you’re speaking English don’t expect to get the lowest price in town. I don’t agree with the approach but I understand it. Still, enjoy the venues. I’ll leave it at this for now, if you get the opportunity to visit Azogues do it! It’s safe, relatively clean, totally different than any city I’ve been in Canada, and it’s authentic. Enjoy :)

Leonard

Tuesday 2nd of June 2015

We are thinking of moving to the Cuenca area, and possibly to Azogues. As of now I have potential employment opportunities in both cities. Interestingly, we are also thinking of moving to Nova Scotia, or at least splitting our time between the two. We were in N.S. last June and absolutely loved it. I was in Ecuador in November and December and absolutely loved it. How would you compare your lives in the two locations - what were the best and worst aspects of living in each? Why did you decide to return to Canada? Leonard in the United States

Leo

Sunday 15th of March 2015

This is a question for Dena. We enjoy your blog, full of good info on living in Ecuador. But there is one thing missing, which my wife always asks: What is the "shopping" like?

Lourdes Marie

Monday 16th of March 2015

Hello Leo's wife, I am happy to share with you. You asked about the "shopping" I know you mean shopping for clothes. I found that the most expensive commodity in Ecuador is clothing. The reason could be they are mostly imports. All the Malls and small Boutiques carry the latest and trendy fashions however, they are highly priced for North Americans. Their clothing is expensive for me a Canadian. I have visited different cities, including the well known cities such as Quito, Santo Domingo and Cuenca and other smaller cities and have observed the prices. I really love Ecuador and have visited the country twice. I have been to the well known cities such as Quito, Cuenca and Santo Domingo, along to other smaller towns and villages. You just have to visit... Glad to share, Lourdes Marie

Patrick Trussell

Saturday 14th of March 2015

How much per night at the hotel ? Thanks, Pat

Bryan Haines

Saturday 14th of March 2015

Between $55 and 64 per night.

Joe

Saturday 14th of March 2015

WOW! Hard to believe there are 3 lane roads in Ecuador. Of course I lived and worked in Quito in the late 50s and again in 65-66. When I drove from Quito to Cuenca and beyond the roads were only 2 lane, dirt roads. Beautiful pictures of Azogues. I really enjoy your emails and info about how much things have changed in Ecuador.