Gualaceo and Chordeleg: A Two-Town Day Trip from Cuenca

You can travel by bus from Cuenca’s Terrestrial Terminal, with services serving Gualaceo and Chordeleg. Chordeleg is also reachable by bus from Gualaceo. The named cooperatives serving the Cuenca–Gualaceo route include Santiago de Gualaceo, Express Sígsig and Cenepa.

Cuenca–Gualaceo buses depart throughout the day. Express Chordeleg runs daily on the Cuenca–Gualaceo–Chordeleg route from 06:00 to 19:00. Cooperativas Unidas, Express Sígsig and Cenepa serve the route continuing to Sígsig, with departures from 05:30 to 19:00.

Schedules and operating details can change. Before choosing a bus, check the official Gualaceo and Chordeleg municipal sites for current transport information.

Start early, then follow the sample route from Cuenca through San Pedro de los Olivos and Bullcay to Gualaceo and Chordeleg. The official Gualaceo tourism site recommends leaving Cuenca no later than 09:00, since a later start may leave too little time for all the activities on the route.

One sample itinerary places the House of the Macana Workshop and Interpretation Center in San Pedro de los Olivos at 08:40, Bullcay weavers at 09:30, Gualaceo’s cantonal centre at 10:15 and Chordeleg’s Chorro de Oro at 12:00.

These are itinerary times, not a guarantee of bus connections or visit duration, so use them to understand the order of stops rather than as a promise that every activity fits your transport plan.

Some sample routes add a 14:00 stop at Ecuagenera; another includes the Doña Rosa pottery workshop at the same time. The itineraries schedule the return toward Cuenca at 15:00 and the end of services at 16:00. Pick a route that matches your transport and the stops you want to include.

Gualaceo’s sample itineraries combine its cantonal centre with craft visits in nearby San Pedro de los Olivos and Bullcay. The named stops include the House of the Macana Workshop and Interpretation Center and Bullcay weavers, giving the route a focus on local textile crafts as well as the town itself.

For a longer craft-focused day, one itinerary includes Doña Rosa pottery workshop, while another includes Ecuagenera. Both stops are scheduled at 14:00; check which itinerary and transport plan suit your day before setting out.

Chordeleg’s sample route stop is Chorro de Oro, scheduled at 12:00 on one itinerary. The town is 42 km from Cuenca, and buses run there from Cuenca’s Terrestrial Terminal or from Gualaceo.

Chordeleg is associated with jewellery making, making its town centre a natural part of a visit focused on local crafts. The route information places the town after the Gualaceo stops, so you can plan the day in that sequence if you are following the sample itinerary.

A four-star option in Cuenca is a four-star hotel in the city for planning regional outings.

Plan the return before you leave Cuenca: the sample Gualaceo itineraries schedule travel back toward the city at 15:00 and the end of services at 16:00. Bus departure information for both towns varies by route, so confirm the return service that fits your chosen stops rather than assuming the sample itinerary times are bus times.

For the sample day routes, the Gualaceo tourism site recommends comfortable walking footwear, a hat, sunscreen and water. Check the official site before you go.