Cuenca is the capital of the province of Azuay, it's located in the sierra of the Andes in the Austro or southern region of Ecuador. It is approximately nine hours south of Quito (first city in Ecuador) and four hours east of Guayaquil (third city in Ecuador) . Cuenca ranges from 2,350 to 2,550 meters above sea level. The features of the city's geography are also the source of its name: "Santa Ana de los cuatro rios de Cuenca". These rivers are the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara, in order of importance. The first three of these rivers originate in the Páramo of Parque Nacional el Cajas which is situated at the west of the city. These four rivers are part of the Amazon river watershed. Cuenca (meaning a basin caused by a confluence of rivers) is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with passes to the west, south and east.

Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca enjoys a mild climate year-round. Days are generally warm and nights are cool enough that sweaters or jackets are needed. The average daily temperature is 14.6 degrees Celsius. There are two seasons: rainy and dry. Cuenca has about 500.000 inhabitants (the canton).

The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its historical buildings.

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