Turi Hill & Panoramic Lookout

The Turi Lookout is the reference point for all visitors to the city of Cuenca (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Ecuador. Visiting this viewpoint is an activity not to be missed. It is a natural balcony in the rural parish of Turi in the south of Cuenca. A similar panoramic view is only possible from its twin hill, that of Cullca, to the north of the city.

 

Turi is a Spanish derivation of the Quechua word Quri. It means gold. It is the best example of the Christianization of an aboriginal place of worship. A Catholic temple stands at its peak. The parish was founded both civilly and ecclesiastically in 1853.

 

The local economy is based on trade in handicrafts, subsistence agriculture and lately the development of tourist enterprises, such as restaurants. Another site of recent activity is the giant swing, for lovers of adrenaline. The chair is attached by steel cables to two huge trees. People swing on a 500-meter deep ravine. The vertigo is intense. The view is spectacular.

 

A ceramic map placed at the top of the viewpoint, made by the artist Eduardo Vega, locates the observer the sectors of the city and the valley that are being watched. The artist's workshop is located on the way up to the Turi viewpoint. From this height you can see the domes of the New Cathedral and several churches in the Historical Center of Cuenca. You can also see the lower part of the city, which is on the other side of the Tomebamba River’s Ravine and Avenida Solano. You can see the parks and the many green areas of the city. A characteristic of Cuenca, extended in the valley before the eyes of its admirers, are the red roofs of its houses.

 

Visitors can reach the viewpoint by double-decker buses that board at Calderon Park (or Central Park) in the city of Cuenca.

 

The church dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Merced de Turi was built in 1923. It can be vista from anywhere in the city of Cuenca. Another element of popular religiosity is the stone sculpture of the Lord of Bethlehem, embedded in the mountain. Its presence is linked to the legend of the Cañar (the name of a native pre-Inka culture) and the Niño Dios (God Child).