The beautiful city of Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca - The oldest and largest Panama hats production center

Previous post I was telling a bit about Montecristi which produced quality panama hats. Today I would like to share with you about Cuenca where the production level of Panama hats is much larger and much cheaper to be produce and sell. 

Founded in 1557 by the Spanish, Cuenca is an open-air museum of colonial architecture built with the traditional techniques and materials of the indigenous cultures. The Spanish, who built Cuenca on the foundation of an Inca city, intended the city to become the region’s agriculture hub. City planners also built the city on a grid, making orderly development possible over the next several centuries. 

Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Ecuador’s third-largest city. Cuenca has been anointed by International Living Magazine as one of the top places to retire. The town has an Old World, Spanish colonial feel. There are flower boxes on windows, wrought-iron balconies, red-tile roofs, cobblestone streets and a lively market (open Thursday, with a smaller market on Saturday). 

Cuenca's population and importance grew steadily during the colonial era and reached the peak of its importance in the first years of Ecuador's independence. It became the capital of one of the three provinces that made up the nascent republic; the other two capitals were Guayaquil and Quito.

Panama hats are the trademark of Cuenca, the misnamed toppers were first made in the Cuenca area and are still produced there. In Cuenca, you will find many Panama hat factories and shops that sell only the genuine Panama straw hats. Travelling with these roll up hats will not be a great problem. Of all other things in Ecuador, the Panama Hats will make a great souvenir. It's also a center for arts and crafts. Many of the things sold in Quito and Guayaquil come from this area.

Cuenca first started Panama hat production in the 1850s. The oldest and largest Panama hat exporters are located in Cuenca. To properly block a hat, commercial hat finishers require dependable electricity and quality water to generate steam. Most commercially-finished hats are finished in Cuenca because the city is able to provide these utilities.

Although there is demand for authentic Panama hats, Cuencan weavers can't always access a market for their fine products. Weavers live in rural locations in and around Cuenca, where raw materials are readily available. Tradition dictates that weavers depend on intermediaries, who set prices and keep a portion of the profits. Often, the skilled work of the weavers is not reflected in their income. Many indigenous weavers live in impoverished conditions. They lack steady wages and give up weaving in order to look for odd jobs to supplement their income.

Apart from that, Cuenca Ecuador is also an ideal base for excursions to the Inca fortress ruins at Ingapirca, the Cajas National Park and the subtropical valleys of Gualaceo, Yunguilla and Paute. So one day is not enough to explore all of Cuenca, you'll need another couple of days to enjoy the surrounding area here. Actually there are many interesting place to visit in Cuenca but for this post I only share little bit of it. If l had to tell all those wonderful place and attraction area in Cuenca, most of you will book a flight ticket to go there immediately.