Plaza Civica is a little out of the "Gringo Zone". The square itself is quite nice, but the area around is more interesting. From the middle of the square cross the street and go between two buildings (there was a Banos sign when we were there) and you will find the Artisan Market. Here you can get some real bargains if you haggle. On the opposite side of the square is the Mercado 9 de Octobre. Go inside as the market is quite clean and neat with loads of fruits and vegetables on the main floor, meats on the lower level and food on the upper level. Wander around the area and absorb the atmosphere.
All that Cuenca is known for is found in the Civic Plaza including great historic buildings, good food and lovely surroundings.
This market serves both tourists and locals alike. You can't help but like the many examples of textiles and woolen blankets, sweaters, and ponchos offered by the many merchants. And if you are a local looking to buy a pair of knock off shoes or some kitchen supplies, you will surely find vendors hocking their wares. Bargain hard for the things you want. The vendors start off high expecting you to negotiate. While you are there, take the chance to get a snow cone topped with sweet juice flavored syrups capped off with some drizzled sweet condensed milk, served by men pushing a cart carrying the ingredients and a hand operated ice shaver. It is a different type of snow cone than I have ever tasted but it was really good. The cost to this "gringo" was 50 cents but locals pay less. Across the street is the Artesan's market that definitely serves the tourists and offers various examples of traditional Ecuadoran products such as leather goods, jewelry, and Panama hats.
This is a great, typical Latin America market with a bit of everything. As residents we often return here to buy various household items for the kitchen. They have lots of souvenir items at great prices (be sure to "haggle").
This is great place to pick up local items to take back with you. You have a great advantage if you speak the language. Everything is negotiable.
A large fruit and veggie market. A large poultry and meat market. A fish market. Handicraft market a block away. Clothing market, central to just about everything. Noisy, bustling, involved kinda reminds me of the sukhumvit night market in Bangkok. Enough to keep ou busy here for several hours.Good fun.
Lots of great streets and night life. Better then the old city of Quito. People are out shopping and enjoying life. It felt safe, there are a lot of American's living in this city. So you'll notice the shops are more fancy and same with the coffee shops. Great Architecture we took tons of photos. Its good to have a guide to tell you the history of all the places in this city.
Maybe visiting near Xmas is ill advised? Same stuff in each stall but great people watching that reflects Ecuador's diversity. There are other artisan shops nearby with similar & more varied selection.
Barren and nothing but concrete. Nearby farmers market was crowded and nothing new. Noisy traffic, no shade or artwork and uncomfortable benches had me leaving the area after five minutes.
The mercado is very good, huge and clean ; the atmosphere is pleasant, even though some vendedores really want you as a customer (if you're a gringo, everything will cost 1$, not less). We bought a lot of vegetables and fruits there, and it was excellent. When you are not familiar with exotic fruits, you can also try a lot of fun stuff