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 This legend is probably embellished somewhat, but, according to historical documents, he received four wounds in the battle yet continued to fight.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

4 & 5** Custom & Scheduled Tours by www.SouthAmerica.travel Create your own travel itinerary with our custom Travel Planner, or choose from one of our 100s of carefully designed itineraries. Special escorted departures. SouthAmerica.travel

Galapagos Luxury Ships Find the best selection of High-End Galapagos Ships. More than 15 years of experience providing great value to our clients. www.EQTouring.com

Reviews

Traveler Reviews of Cuenca's Central Park

Flower market

Colorful place where you can feel the gentle warm of the people

Traveler from US on Apr 21, 2008