Cuenca

Founded in 1557 on the ruins of the Inca city of Tomebamba, Cuenca is a large Andean city in Ecuador whose historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Known as the "Athens of Ecuador" for its cultural output, the city sits in a broad highland valley crossed by four rivers and offers a dense café and restaurant scene, a concentration of historic churches, and strong photographic appeal throughout its colonial streetscape.

• Population636,996
• Nearest water from center1.2 km
• Nearest mountain from center6.1 km
• UNESCO within 50 km7