San Sebastian - Cuenca, Ecuador

I know, I know...I've only been here for four days, but this is my favorite area of Cuenca! The square is anchored by San Sebastian Cathedral and surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The museum features South American artists in several small rooms which surround a lovely courtyard. Much like the museum in Leon, Nicaragua, I was amazed at the lack of climate control protecting the art. But then I suppose it's no different than having a masterpiece hanging on your wall at home.

Apparently the museum started out as a House of Temperance - a place for the local drunks to dry out. Before becoming a museum it also served as a jail, orphanage, homeless shelter and insane asylum. Now there's a checkered past!

The San Sebastian plaza in front of the cathedral is the prettiest plaza in Cuenca. Simply a great place to observe people, read a book or bask in the sun beneath the palms. Yes, palms at 8000 feet? Who knew!

Café San Sebas is heavily frequented by the expat and tourist crowd, but don't hold that agains them! This is the place in town to get an authentic cappuccino with perfect foam. It's a wonderful place to spend a few hours if you're feeling homesick and need a coffeehouse fix. Plus they have great food, homemade preserves and Kombucha.


The San Sebas neighborhood is also home to storefront selling fresh coconut water and raw sugarcane, just down the street from the museum. While there are carts around town selling the same, it can be difficult to track them down when you're thirsty!