The Cuenca Street Where a 70-Year-Old Seed Shop Still Opens at Dawn

Most visitors to Cuenca never make it up to Rafael María Arízaga street, by Plaza Monroy in the El Vecino neighborhood. That's exactly why it's worth the walk.

A Gateway That Stayed Put

When Cuenca was still a small city, this stretch "era la entrada y salida norte de la ciudad" — the northern way in and out. The highway moved, the city grew around it, and the street could have become just another forgotten corridor. Instead, the trades that served travelers a century ago are still operating — often run by the second or third generation of the same family.

The People Who Kept It

Bertha Bustillos "se levanta temprano todos los días para abrir su negocio de venta de semillas" — gets up early every day to open her seed shop. It's been there more than 70 years.

Ángel Quinde was one of the first artisans on the street working sheet metal (hojalatería). The workshop is now run by his daughter Patricia and her husband — the craft passed down, not closed down.

Patricia Arízaga has been making a variety of golosinas — traditional candies and sweets — for 30 years. Her sister Eulalia started the family's candy tradition on the street about four decades ago.

Why Go

This isn't a restored tourist street with curated "artisan experiences." It's a working street where the work happens to be old. If you want to understand what Cuenca was before it became a retirement destination — and meet the people who are still quietly running it — Rafael María Arízaga is one of the most honest places to do it.

Go on a weekday morning. Buy seeds you don't need from Bertha. Get candy from Patricia. Bring cash, bring patience, and don't rush it — the entire point is that this street never did.

Source: El Mercurio