Articles

Pumaspungo Resto Bar on the Paseo Tres de Noviembre was broken into during the Carnaval holiday. Thieves entered through the roof while the restaurant was closed. Business owners in El Centro are now organizing community alarm systems.

If Cuenca felt unusually packed this weekend, you weren't imagining it. Hotels hit 90% occupancy, 1.3 million Ecuadorians hit the road, and the government estimates the four-day feriado will generate up to $100 million in tourism spending. Here's what the Carnival boom actually looked like.

Remember when we told you they were going to try? They did it. On Valentine's Day, 30 chefs prepared 1,723 kilograms of mote pata at Plaza San Francisco, earning Cuenca an official Guinness World Record and feeding 9,500 people for free.

If you've lived in Cuenca for any amount of time, you've heard of mote pata. If you haven't tried it yet, Carnival week is your moment. Here's what it is, what's in it, and where to get the best bowl in the city — from $3.50 market stalls to top-rated restaurants.

From this morning's Mote Pata workshop to Saturday night's Nicky Jam concert, here's everything happening in Cuenca for Carnival 2026 — plus Tranvía schedule changes, road patrol info, and what to know before you head out.

On Valentine's Day, Plaza de San Francisco will host the world's largest motepata — a traditional Cuencan corn-and-pork stew — with Guinness officials on hand to certify the record. Plates are just $2.

The Prefectura del Azuay has launched Carnaval Bakansote 2026 with over 160 events, 12,000 hotel rooms, and 600+ restaurants ready across the province. Gualaceo, Paute, Chordeleg, and Yunguilla await.

Cuenca's biggest annual celebration has officially launched with approximately 80 events running through the end of February. Concerts, parades, gastronomic festivals, art exhibitions, and more -- here's your guide.

Cuenca's biggest party of the year runs February 12-17 with a packed schedule: the Four Rivers parade, a Color Fest, concerts at Serrano Aguilar stadium, a chiva market tour, and an attempt to certify the world's largest mote pata with Guinness officials on hand.