Find out about the many ways you can get to our city:
Bus Station
Cuenca’s bus station is located northeast of the city, just one kilometer from the Mariscal La Mar Airport. It is a multifunctional station since it covers both intercontinental and interprovincial routes.
The station is open 24 hours a day and it offers different bus companies that travel to various destinations in the country. It also has a large waiting area, commercial premises and a permanent surveillance system.
You can learn more about the schedules of the different bus routes at https://www.ecuabuses.com/ However, we remind you to confirm the information through the contact numbers of the bus lines that you will find on the same website, as eventualities may occur.
Air Connectivity
Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport carries out daily local operations with flights to and from the city of Quito. Airport operations are carried out between the hours of 07:00 and 20:00. It should be noted that, within the facilities, there are: restaurants, shops and travel agencies, as well as taxi service and nearby car rental agencies.
You can find the schedules of the different air routes on the airport’s website.
Getting Around Cuenca by Tram
Cuenca is the first city in Ecuador and the fourth in Latin America to have a first class transportation system and, most importantly, totally eco-friendly. In addition to being ecological, Cuenca’s tram promotes alternative mobility, as it crosses the city from east to west and vice versa, passing by points of great commercial and cultural dynamism.
The payment system is made via magnetic card through an electronic system located at each stop. To acquire a tourist type card, it is necessary to go to the offices of ETAPA (Gran Colombia Street, at the corner of Tarqui) and acquire one (including recharge).
Click here to learn about the tram route:
Getting Around Cuenca by Bus
Cuenca has a significant network of urban and rural buses that belong to different companies and whose routes cover the entire city by the main streets where, in addition, there are exclusive lanes for the bus in order to facilitate the fluidity of this medium of transport.
Most of the bus lines circulate from Monday to Sunday between 06:00 and 22:00, with waiting times of 4 to 15 minutes, depending on the time slot and this frequency is reduced in some cases during the weekends.
The stops are fully marked at intervals of 300 meters, within each bus; an automatic speech system announces them. The payment system is done via magnetic card with a rate of 30 cents of a dollar, and there are reduced rates in the case of: minors, seniors, students and people with disabilities.
Click here to know where to acquire and recharge the bus card:
CUENCA’S MOBILITY APPS
You can check online for updated information on the public transport system in Cuenca; as well as download the Moovit app: Bus&Train Schedules.
Getting Around Cuenca by Taxi
Taxis in Cuenca, as in the rest of the country, are yellow with orange license plates; in addition to references they have registration numbers both on the doors and on the roof of the vehicle. They also have internal security cameras and in most of the units are equipped with an emergency button. The rate system they use is the taximeter, which is mandatory. Travelers only have to wave their hand to be picked up, without restriction on all city streets.
There are fully signposted taxi stands in some parts of the city, generally located at the airport, bus station and shopping malls.
There are approximately 3600 taxis in the city, so it is not usually a problem to find a vacant one on the main roads of the city. The payment method is only in cash and there is a minimum rate of $1.50 during the day and $2.00 in the evening.
In addition to this, there are apps such as Azutaxi which allow you to request them. Tourists are also able to call for a taxi through landline phone numbers.
Bici-Pública: a bike-sharing system
The city has twenty bike-sharing stations that offer more than 240 bicycles for immediate use through an electronic card system. The public bikes, plus the 67 km of cycle paths make this the best alternative and sustainable mobility system in the country.
The stations operate on a daily basis, from 06:00 to 20:00. You can check the status of availability of bicycles and where to return them by accessing the website.