Rural parish · Cuenca, Ecuador

Ricaurte, Cuenca

Discover Ricaurte, Cuenca, through the Fiesta del Cuy, San Carlos, northern historic routes, local food and rural community life.

Parish centre, parks & market

Explore Ricaurte

Visit the parish centre and find green spaces and the local market nearby. Numbers on the map match the list.

Explore the places below.

6 places

1Centro de RicaurteVisit
The parish centre brings together the church, plaza and local food traditions.
2Iglesia de San Carlos BorromeoVisit
The church dedicated to San Carlos stands in the parish centre.
3Mercado de RicaurteEat & drink
A market for local produce near the parish centre.
4Parque Señor de BurgosOutdoors
A neighbourhood green space southeast of the centre.
5Parque Buena EsperanzaOutdoors
A park in the Buena Esperanza neighbourhood.
6Capilla del Señor de BurgosVisit
A chapel in the neighbourhood southeast of central Ricaurte.

Imagery: Cuenca · ESA · Copernicus. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Map sources

History, patron and the Fiesta del Cuy

The Azuay Provincial publication dates Ricaurte's parishization to 1910, in honor of independence officer Antonio Ricaurte. It identifies San Carlos as the parish patron and describes the Fiesta del Cuy as a popular celebration organized across Ricaurte's urban and rural areas. 1

Irrigation and community organization

A University of Cuenca thesis studies the Junta de Usuarios del Sistema de Riego Checa–Sidcay–Ricaurte, headquartered in Ricaurte, through women's participation and leadership during 2016–2018. It shows irrigation as a community institution where water management, organization and gender roles meet. 5

Routes, place names and the parish center

The Azuay route study follows the northern path from El Vecino through the Machángara corridor and Ricaurte toward Llacao and Pachamama, and its photographic section records Ricaurte's church, typical architecture, central plaza and cuy gastronomy. A University of Cuenca study complements that view by documenting place names through archival work, field observation and oral surveys as expressions of local memory and identity. 1 3

Food and routes in Ricaurte

Ricaurte is part of Azuay’s northern historic route between the Tomebamba and Pachamama. The provincial guide documents the parish centre, its church and plaza, local architecture and cuy gastronomy; parish and municipal sources add the Fiesta del Cuy and current food events. That makes Ricaurte a useful stop for a north-of-Cuenca food and heritage outing. Event dates and participating businesses change, so check the linked parish or municipal information before travelling. 1 2

Videos

YouTube · 4
Ricaurte turístico
Noche Para Todos · 2014-03-31
2014 video conversation with a local resident about tourism places in Ricaurte, Cuenca.
Watch on YouTube

PDFs and documents

PDF · 1
Rutas y Caminos antiguos del Azuay
Gobierno Provincial del Azuay · 2023 · 123 pages
2023 provincial publication documenting the northern Tomebamba–Pachamama route through Ricaurte, its 1910 parishization, San Carlos patron and Fiesta del Cuy, with photographs of the parish center.
Open document
PDF · 3
Georeferenciación, análisis y función del patrimonio toponímico del cantón Cuenca: parroquia rural de Ricaurte
Universidad de Cuenca · 2016
A University of Cuenca monograph on Ricaurte place names, memory, language, identity and GIS georeferencing.
Publisher’s copy
Local PDF copy · 109 pages
Open document
PDF · 5
La participación y el empoderamiento de las mujeres dirigentes de la Junta de Riego de Ricaurte, periodo 2016 - 2018
Universidad de Cuenca, Eugenio de Jesús Siavichay Sinchi · 2019 · 137 pages
2019 thesis on women's participation and empowerment in the Checa–Sidcay–Ricaurte irrigation users' organization headquartered in the parish.
Original publication
Open document