Falling for Cuenca in Southern Ecuador

I spent two weeks in Cuenca, but it could've just as easily been two months.

The center of Ecuador's third-largest city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, feels small and safe like a pueblo yet offers a much wider variety of dining and nightlife options.

Architecturally, it looks like Cartagena was transplanted into the mountains. I'd also liken it to an old European city, complete with narrow, one-way cobblestone streets.

To be blunt, it blows the historic city center of Quito out of the water.

Cuenca also acts as a convenient base for exploring the region, including archaeological sites and nearby El Cajas National Park.

On my second day, I met a local woman, and we proceeded to spend quite a bit of time together (one of many reasons it pays to learn Spanish).

Our regular meeting point was in front of the massive Cathedral. We'd go for food, drinks, or salsa dancing. On the best nights, all three.

Maybe it's my fondness for architecture, but I found it incredibly romantic to be meeting my date in front of a cathedral as grand as the one in Cuenca.

Walking around, arm in arm, I'd notice just how many other couples were doing the same.

There was a sense of tradition in the city and its people, which I found endearing.

As I travel around the rest of South America, I'm keeping an eye out for places where I could see myself living for an extended time.

To fit the bill and compete with the likes of Medellin, the city has to have fun nightlife.

Eating and dancing are my hobbies beyond travel and blogging, and I was excited to find Cuenca delivered on both fronts.

Over my two-week stay, I discovered new Ecuadorian dishes, gave cuy a second try, got my sushi fix with Ant and Elise of Positive World Travel, lunched at an authentic Indian restaurant, and overdosed on langostinos at Tiesto's, the #1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor.

On the first Thursday night in town, I went dancing at Cafe Verde, Pinton y Maduro.

The small discoteca had just enough people to create a fun atmosphere without an overcrowded dance floor.

As I got to know my date's dance style, I was also taking note of the other dancers. In particular, one bald guy (in the picture above) was an excellent salsa dancer.

A few nights later, we were walking around Cuenca's Zona Rosa when I heard salsa music coming out of a place called Zoe.

A poster indicated it was salsa night, so naturally, I wanted to check it out.

The quality of the dancing was very high in there. The majority of dancers were Ecuadorian, but a handful of foreign women were also sporting their dancing shoes.

After a few songs in the crowded main level, my date and I sought seats and space on the second floor. Small tables lined the balcony.

However, there was no room to dance around them, so we took over the empty bar up there instead.

We danced for a solid three hours until I could dance no more—the usual suspects.

As much fun as I was having in the nights, I also enjoyed my days.

I'd sit in the garden of hostel Macondo, writing and working on the new design for Go Backpacking.

The hostel was akin to a Bed & Breakfast, featuring the most comfortable bed I'd have in Ecuador, delicious fresh bread for breakfast, and dependable Wi-Fi.

As easy as it is to meet new people traveling, sitting still in one city works best if you want to meet other travel bloggers.

In addition to meeting up with Ant and Elise (Positive World Travel), I hung out with Ryan (Ryan Goes Abroad), who I'd first met in Medellin, and Priyank (Final Transit), a long time reader.

After two weeks, I forced myself to leave Cuenca. The longer I stayed, the harder it would be to move on. I promised myself I could always return.