I decided to continue in South America and I chose Ecuador as my destination. The best thing to do in Cuenca, Ecuador is to go to a hacienda. This would be a new country for me for the 1st time in 2022. I decided to fly into Guayaquil then bus up the mountains into the city of Cuenca. To give a little bit about this city, Cuenca is rated as one of the top expat cities for making friends in the world as it lies in the Andes Mountains.
Upon arriving in Cuenca, the city reminded me a little of Cusco, Peru as I saw several indigenous looking people, an old but authentic looking historic downtown, and a city surrounded by mountains. The city is not too busy but has enough traffic in general as there tends to be some traffic jams through the downtown area due to the number of old one-way streets. With all of this in mind I decided to take a tour during my 1st day arriving.
My tour was to Hacienda Caballo Campana, this place is the best thing to do in Cuenca, Ecuador since it provides great views, beautiful flower gardens, and horseback riding. The cost is only $10/30mins or $20/hr which is very reasonable for the budget traveler and backpacker. The facility includes a restaurant and hotel which is perfect for the ideal romantic family getaway.
Once the tour was complete, I took several photos of the miraculous views of the land. Afterwards, I then took a taxi back to the historic district of Cuenca to commence my day.