Cuenca's Central Park

Cuenca’s beautifully tended Central Park, Parque Calderón, is an attractive, expansive area of flowers and trees. The park is dominated by a monument to Abdón Calderón, a young cuencano who fought valiantly at the battle of Pichincha in 1822, a pivotal confrontation in Ecuador’s struggle for independence. According to local legend, a critically injured Calderón crawled to the summit of Pichincha Volcano, where he planted the Ecuadorian flag in defiance of the Spanish. This legend is probably embellished somewhat, but, according to historical documents, he received four wounds in the battle yet continued to fight. Although he died in Quito five days later, to this day, Ecuadorian soldiers who show tremendous courage are awarded the Abdón Calderón medal.

The park is flanked on two sides by churches that are popular with tourists. To the east is the colonial El Sagrario Church and on the west is Cuenca’s most famous building the massive La Inmaculada Vhurch, which is instantly recognizable by the blue domes that dominate Cuenca’s skyline.

Location:
Cuenca, Ecuador

City Plaza

Travel Skills: None

By Christopher Minster

I am a writer and editor at V!VA Travel guides here in Quito, where I specialize in adding quality content to the site and also in spooky things like...

Created: 07 Apr 2006

Updated: 16 Mar 2009

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