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Keith & Tina are Living in Ex-Pat Paradise in Cuenca, Ecuador

Best things to do in Cuenca Ecuador Keith and Tina headshot

I’m really excited to interview Keith and Tina Paul of Retire Early and Travel about Cuenca, Ecuador. Keith and Tina retired in their 40’s, moved to Cuenca, and now travel the world. Their tips for the best things to do in Cuenca, Ecuador are awesome because they are living the life that so many of us dream of.

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Best things to do in Cuenca Ecuador Keith and Tina in the Cajas

Keith and Tina in the Cajas

Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca is one of the most popular cities in the ex-pat / retire early community. It offers a temperate climate and low cost of living that checks off so many of the boxes that international retirees are looking for.

The city has been increasing in popularity over the last 50 years. It wasn’t connected with the rest of Ecuador by a paved road until the 1960s. This disconnect preserved its architecture and heritage and what makes it such a wonderful place to visit today. Now, there is a great mix of old-world charm and current technology.

Cuenca is said to have two seasons… rainy and dry. From January through May visitors will experience warm mornings followed by frequent afternoon showers. In comparison, June through December will be dry but there will often be overcast skies.

We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Visit Cuenca, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.

If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.

Best things to do in Cuenca Ecuador Alpacas in the cajas

Alpacas in the Cajas

Best things to Do in Cuenca

Best places to Eat in Cuenca

Best places to stay in Cuenca

Getting around Cuenca

The local airport is Mariscal Lamar International Airport, which is in the northeast corner of the city.

Keith and Tina say that you don’t need to rent a car. The city center is very walkable and there are taxis available for trips outside of the city. The average taxi fare is $2.00 – $2.50, and bus fare is only 25 cents.

If you need to rent a car, click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz.

Best things to do in Cuenca Ecuador typical roadside food

Typical roadside food stands in Cuenca

Places we talked about on the podcast

Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Keith and Tina Paul about Cuenca, Ecuador. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.

  • Red dots = best places to eat in Cuenca, Ecuador
  • Green dots = best things to do in Cuenca, Ecuador
  • Yellow dots = best places to stay in Cuenca, Ecuador

Who are Keith and Tina Paul?

Keith and Tina left successful careers to pursue their passion for travel. Keith was in healthcare information technology and Tina was a middle school Science teacher and naturopathic doctor. They have been married since they were 24 years old and are still going strong!

Once their children were grown and pursuing their dreams while traveling the world, Keith and Tina wondered why they weren’t doing the same thing. They began researching ex-pat options and found their paradise in Cuenca. Now, they travel the world while documenting their travels at RetireEarlyAndTravel.com.

Best things to do in Cuenca Ecuador Retire Early and Travel Round or Square Logo hi-res

Here are a few articles that they’ve written:

You can connect with Keith and Tina Paul at their website and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Big thanks to today’s podcast sponsor – Dosh Cash Back app

You know how much I like using miles and points when I travel, but using rewards isn’t always an option due to blackout dates or when the hotel requires too many points for our stay.

That’s why I’ve been loving Dosh’s new hotel booking functionality. Their rates are extremely competitive and there are over 600,000 hotels to choose from around the world.

Best of all, you can earn up to 20% cash back per night! That’s cold hard cash in your pocket that you can use for anything. With all the travel I do, I’ve quickly earned a significant amount of money which I’m using to pay down our mortgage and save for the future.

Go to WeTravelThere.com/dosh to download the Dosh cash back app today and start booking your hotels. Plus you can get cash back at 1000’s of merchants they partner with. Use the promo code “TIMMY” for a little something extra when you open your free account.

Stay tuned for our next episode

Best things to do in Portland Oregon with Liz Eischen headshotListen to the next episode when Liz Eischen of Kitchen Table Finances takes us to the beaches of Valencia, Spain and we enjoy the best paella you’ve ever tasted. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.

What’s your favorite part of Cuenca, Ecuador? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!

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To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.

Related episodes

To learn more about destinations in Central and South America, listen to our other episodes: