pumapungo museum and arqueological park - mcyp

These foundations have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years. It was good to see one re-constructed building to be able to picture what the buildings were like. Very interesting.

Very nice 3 floors of a top notch museum. We toured the outside a different day and the attention to detail is awesome. We highly recommend touring both the inside and outside.

Enjoyed touring anb very informative fot the history and aldo the very welcomed stop at the waffle Stand and follow the Tomebamba River .One of the best sites in Cuenca.

The museum is a dimly lit version of most small museums in the states. It has a lot of information about the different culture found in Ecuador. Some of the exhibits are translated to English but most are not. The archeological park is a small display of the ruins of the indigeonous peoples and a garden illustrating how they practiced agriculture. The gardens are beautiful and fun to meander through. They also have a small collection of colorful birds of Ecuador and llamas on display.

This is a not to be missed museum and park. The restored archy digs are an interesting insight into the early cultures of this area. Too bad a lot of the museum wqs 'off limits' on our visit. No entry fee either and clean. Worth 2 or 3 hours

This was one of my favourite places in Cuenca. From the outside it's a pretty boring and ugly building, and doesn't get much better inside. However the ground floor exhibition dedicated to a modern Ecuadorian artist was really interesting with some really impressive pieces. The first floor was not so impressive with pretty naf reconstructions of Ecuadorian traditional homes, dress etc. but the shrunken head exhibition was really cool. The best part of the complex is the Inca ruins outside to the back of the museum. Once you walk out first it looks as if there are just a handful of low-lying stone walls, but the further you walk into the complex the more impressive the ruins get, we ended up spending quite a bit of time here, it's a really nice place to explore. Afterwards you can walk back along by the river into the city centre. It was also free which was a nice bonus and you can take photographs inside.

The museum depicts native lifestyles, festivities, arts and crafts and to our surprise we discovered that the Shuara tribe we had just visited the day before had been a tribe of head hunters. The museum clearly tells the story of their lifestyle. In addition to the indoor exhibits, the outdoor archeological site is interesting to see. The outdoor aviary is a great place to get up close to parrots and toucans. We sat and ate some ice cream in a very lovely setting. And all this is free of charge! If you have an hour or two to spare in Cuenca, by all means check it out.

The drive up from Cuenca is nice, the countryside is beautiful, but don't be fooled by anyone who tells you this is the poor mans Machu Picchu. It is a very small archaeological site on the side of a hill not far from suburb-like countryside dotted with houses. If you're not completely fascinated by the Ecuadorian people's history, then this walk among the rocks will probably bore you. Don't get me wrong, entry is cheap and it's a pleasant stroll, but don't expect anything that is going to really Wow you. I really didn't feel like it was worth taking up the better part of a day going there and back from Cuenca.

A very interesting Inca site with good tourist infrastructure (descriptions in Spanish and English). Features some constructions I haven't seen in popular Inca sites in Peru (e.g., the water channel with a small pond in the center). Also, the exotic bird collection is definitely worth a 15-min stop. Highly recommended!

As a gardener myself I was fascinated by the ancient methods utilized by these farmers. If you love plants in a very natural setting then this is the place to visit. I brought water and some food which allowed me to spend over 4 hours. You can't beat the price !!

Did not expect an archeological site in downtown Cuenca, what a nice suprise! Should not miss it if you visit the city!

The museum has some very good ethnographic displays focusing on the traditional life and customs of various groups of people throughout Ecuador. The are essentially the same as when I first visited in 1997 but have been well kept and are in very good condition. There are also some rotating exhibits on the lower floor - art during our recent visit. Behind the museum is a very large park with Incan (and pre-Incan) ruins and terraces, tropical plantings, and a few cages of tropical birds. It's a very pleasant place to spend an hour or two. There is a small food stand that serves Belgian waffles and snacks (open Thursday to Sunday only).

Access is free. Well done Central Bank of Ecuador for sponsoring the museums. The Shuar exhibition (with shrunken heads) is very well laid out and informative, some of the other exhibits are in Spanish only, so difficult to follow for non Spanish speakers. The archaelogical park out back is very interesting, as is the garden, which grows fruits and vegs for the students of the on site school, as a fan of quinoa, it was great to see it growing. There is also a small avary, and while I don't like to see birds in captivity, there are some fantastic species to be seen. The 3 areas take about 1.5 to 2 hrs.

Good museum with a nicely arrange collection of exhibits from archelogical to cultural stuff. Most items are described in english as well. Entry is Free!

What a pleasure to hike the trails starting just behind the huge cultural complex, the ruins all sides. Fabulous blossoming tropical trees and bushes, ponds, and even a tropical mini-zoo with jungle macaws and other delights. Huge garden of indigenous edible plants, original Inca irrigation canals, leading to more Inca/Cunari ruins. Allow plenty of time to hike the full loop. Halfway up the terraced hillside is the caged entrance to a long tunnel that some experts describe as formerly containing at least one female mummy.We also attended a free classical concert by the excellent Cuenca symphony, in their large concert hall next to the museum.