How to Ride the Cuenca Tram: A Guide to the Cuenca Metro

Cuenca’s tram is a municipal transport system that began commercial operation on September 22, 2020.

The municipal government reports 27 stops and 14 Alstom Citadis 302 vehicles. Its map and the operator’s directory use some different stop names, so check the operator’s current directory when choosing where to board. The directory includes central stops such as Gran Colombia, Santo Domingo, Padre Aguirre and Gaspar Sangurima, alongside Aeropuerto and Terminal Terrestre.

The municipal government also gives a maximum capacity of 285 passengers for each tram vehicle. That figure describes vehicle capacity; it does not give a timetable or guarantee how busy a particular service will be.

Choose your boarding and destination stops from the operator’s stop-itinerary directory before you set out.

The directory names stops across Cuenca, including Río Tarqui, El Salado, Misicata, Feria Libre, Gran Colombia, Mercado 3 de Noviembre, Gaspar Sangurima, Chola Cuencana, Terminal Terrestre and Aeropuerto. It also provides separate stop-itinerary PDFs for Aeropuerto and Terminal Terrestre.

Cuenca’s municipal public-transport map includes the tram and identifies both Terminal Terrestre and Aeropuerto. Its stop-name list includes Gran Colombia, Santo Domingo, Padre Aguirre, Antonio Borrero and Parque Industrial. Because the municipal map and operator directory use different stop names, use the operator’s directory for your specific stop and route details.

If you are connecting with another form of transport, start by identifying the named stop that serves your destination. Then check the operator’s itinerary for that stop rather than assuming every tram serves every connection in the same way.

The municipal fare resolution provides for one electronic card compatible with Cuenca’s urban buses and tram. It also sets out a tram fare schedule. Check the official site before you go for the fare amounts and current ticketing details. The municipal resolution establishes the integrated-card arrangement; it does not explain where to buy or top up a card.

Aeropuerto and Terminal Terrestre are both named stops on the tram network.

Mariscal La Mar Airport identifies the Tranvía as a connection between the airport and the city, and links to the tram operator.

For a trip from the airport toward the city centre, the airport advises passengers to consult the information for “VÍA 2” on its tram timetable display. Use the airport’s display and the operator’s stop itinerary to check the direction and stop relevant to your journey.

The operator provides separate stop-itinerary PDFs for Aeropuerto and Terminal Terrestre, as well as separate stop images for both. If you are arriving by bus, look up Terminal Terrestre in the operator’s directory; if you are arriving by air, check Aeropuerto and the airport’s direction information.

For airport arrival planning beyond the tram connection, the route from Mariscal Lamar Airport to Cuenca’s historic centre covers that journey.

Check the operator’s timetable for service hours before planning a tram trip.

For service hours and accessibility details, consult the operator’s current information before travelling. The airport timetable display can help if you are planning to leave Mariscal La Mar Airport by tram.

From Siena Hotel, Cuenca city centre is about an 8-minute walk; the four-star hotel in Cuenca is a point of reference when placing the central tram stops on your route.