Walk Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca is a colonial city in the Ecuadorian Andes, with a cathedral of blue domes, cobbled streets and a river running below the old town. FOG keeps the map dark until you walk it, and the old grid and the riverbanks fill in well.

The old town

The Parque Calderon is the main square, with the New Cathedral and its huge blue domes on one side and the Old Cathedral, now a museum, on the other. The historic centre around it is a grid of colonial buildings and churches, a World Heritage site.

The flower market, next to the Carmen church, sells flowers every day.

The river

The Tomebamba river runs along the south edge of the old town. The Barranco, the steep bank above it, is lined with old houses with balconies, and steps lead down to riverside paths.

The Pumapungo museum, near the river to the east, has Inca ruins and gardens. Four rivers run through the city, with parks along their banks.

Coverage

Cuenca is at about 2,500 metres, with mild days and cool nights all year, and frequent rain showers.

The old town is compact, and walking the river paths adds long lines. Mirador de Turi, on a hill to the south, has a view over the city.

The character who walks with you

FOG puts a small explorer called Wander on your position. Pick one of five paths (two are free, three come with FOG Unlimited) and every two levels on a path hands you a new piece of gear, earned only by the ground you cover. Twenty five pieces in all, and none of them can be bought.

Under the character it is a plain, permanent record: every street you walk in Cuenca is cleared and stays clear, the app works in the background, and the map is stored only on your phone with no account and no cloud. You can export it as GPX at any time.

Questions people actually ask

Start with a dark map.

FOG is free to explore. No account, no subscription, and your map never leaves your phone.

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