Rural parish · Cuenca, Ecuador
Sidcay, Cuenca
Discover Sidcay, a rural parish of Cuenca, with its communities, landscape, history and links to nearby northern parishes.
Plaza, rural hills & fritada
Explore Sidcay
Find the parish plaza and the communities around Sidcay’s green hills. Numbers on the map match the list.
Explore the places below.
6 places
- 1Plaza de SidcayVisit
The central plaza is a meeting place beside the parish church.
- 2Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la MercedVisit
The parish church is dedicated to the Virgen de la Merced.
- 3Pueblo ViejoEat & drink
A neighbourhood associated with Sidcay’s fritada tradition.
- 4San Vicente de SidcayVisit
A community in the hills northeast of the parish centre.
- 5El Guabo de SidcayOutdoors
A community beside the river landscape south of central Sidcay.
- 6El Balcón del GuaboOutdoors
A hillside community linked to the landscape of Chonta.
Imagery: Cuenca · ESA · Copernicus. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Map sources
An old parish and a changing territory
The parish government records Sidcay as part of San Blas from 1787 and dates its nineteenth-century parish foundation to September 11, 1852. It also identifies former annexes that later became Checa, Llacao and Ricaurte, while listing 19 current barrios. Its history shows how Cuenca's rural parishes took shape. 1 2
Food and community celebrations
Sidcay's official festivities page describes Carnival, the September parish anniversary, the Virgen de la Merced celebration and the Pase del Niño Viajero. The municipality has promoted Sidcay as the parish of fritada, while the parish PDOT identifies the Cerro de Chonta and Cuenca Canopy as local tourism potential. 3 4 2 5
Hills, river edges and views
The parish PDOT describes the Cerro de Chonta as a high point with views toward Sidcay, Cuenca and Ricaurte, and places Cuenca Canopy between Bibín and Puyo. The same plan notes that there were few visitor facilities there. 2 6
PDFs and documents

PDF · 2
Plan de Desarrollo y Ordenamiento Territorial Parroquial de Sidcay 2023–2028
GAD Parroquial de Sidcay · 2023
Parish plan with territorial, historical, cultural and tourism sections, including Cerro de Chonta and Cuenca Canopy.
Open document
PDF · 6
Plan de Movilidad y Espacios Públicos de Cuenca 2015–2025
GAD Municipal de Cuenca · 2015
Municipal diagnostic PDF for parish centers, useful for Sidcay's settlement, mobility and public-space context.
Open document
Government and further reading
Official source · 1
Historia de Sidcay
GAD Parroquial de Sidcay
Official account of Sidcay's San Blas origins, 1852 parish foundation, former annexes and 19 barrios.
Visit sourceOfficial source · 3
Festividades
GAD Parroquial de Sidcay
Official description of Carnival, parish anniversary, Virgen de la Merced and Pase del Niño Viajero traditions.
Visit sourceOfficial source · 4
Alcaldía potencia a Sidcay como la ‘Parroquia de la Fritada’
GAD Municipal de Cuenca · 2023
Municipal rural-identity feature about Sidcay's fritada tradition and first festival.
Visit sourceOfficial source · 5
Identidad rural de las 21 parroquias rurales
GAD Municipal de Cuenca · 2025
Municipal identity program naming Sidcay as the parish of fritada and placing it in a rural-route program.
Visit source
Walks through this parish
- Cerro Zhinglla - cerro Cachaulo · CaminANTES Route 1
- Cerro Cachaulo - Llacao · CaminANTES Route 2
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