Cuenca used to be a sleepy, provincial city, but in recent years local young people and visiting tourists have turned this into a respectable little party city. For quiet drinking and conversation, Wunderbar Café, right off the stairs below Calle Larga and Hermano Miguel (tel. 07/2831-274), and El Cafecito, at Honorato Vásquez 7-36 (tel. 07/2832-337), are both popular spots. Early birds will appreciate the Wunderbar Café's happy hour, which begins at 11am and runs until 7pm. For live music, head to the San Angel, on Hermano Miguel at the corner of Presidente Córdova (tel. 07/2839-090), or Blanco & Tinto, on Av. Jose Peralta 2-132 and Cordero (tel. 09/8832-510). On any given night, both of these places might have anything from a folk singer or small combo to a DJ spinning electronic dance tunes. The 20- and 30-something who's-who of Cuenca gather at Eucalyptus, which has a popular Ladies' Night every Wednesday and a rowdy salsa night every Saturday.
If you're looking to go dancing, La Fábrica, on Presidente Córdova and Manuel Vega (tel. 07/2861-984), is one of the best discos in town, and La Mesa Salsoteca, on Gran Colombia between Machuca and Ordóñez (tel. 07/2833-300), is the best place in town for salsa. Other good spots for mingling with the local crowd include Tal Cual (tel. 09/9722-906), next to the Hotel Crespo, and Tinku, on Calle Larga at the corner of Alfonso Jerves (tel. 07/2838-520).
Note: Many venues are only open Wednesday to Saturday. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are very quiet nights in Cuenca and hardly anybody ventures out late. Covers are sometimes charged and usually range from $2 to $5 (£1.10-£2.75), which may include a drink or two.
