Cuenca & the Southern Highlands - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 205

Vilcabamba
In Vilcabamba, most services are located around the central plaza
and church. The tourism office is at Bolívarand Diego Vaca de la
Vega, next to the Pacífictel telephone office. Just north, next to the
police station is the post office , on Agua de Hierro near Bolívar. Bus
companies park near the market on Juan Montalvo.
Touring & Sightseeing
Cañar
North of Cuenca is the small indigenous town of Cañar, of-
fering a pleasant setting and a peaceful area to relax or to
enjoy a country stroll. The best day to visit is on Sunday -
market day - when the sleepy town livens up. Cañar
should be of particular interest to those visiting the Inca ruins at
Ingapirca , as it is the nearest major population center. Buses travel
frequently between Cuenca and Cañar (at least one an hour) and the
journey takes only a couple of hours. FromCañar, it is a quick hop on
a bus or camioneta to Tambo and the ruins just a few miles away.
Biblián
Less than 19 miles south of Cañar is the small village of Biblián, in-
teresting primarily for the Santuario de la Vírgen del Rocío ,in
the hills above the Pan-American Highway. The Sanctuary was built
and continues to be worshiped as the site of a miracle that saved lo-
cals from a bad drought. Otherwise, keep driving.
Azogues
Located between Cañar and Cuenca on the Pan-American Highway,
this sleepy town is the capital of the province of Cañar, with a popula-
tion of around 35,000. There is not much of interest to the traveler,
other than perhaps the main plaza and local church. Look around for
local artesanía shops if you are interested in native design.