Visit the Best Traditional Cuenca Market | Mercado 10 de Agosto
One of the best things to do in Cuenca Ecuador is to visit a traditional Ecuadorian market. One of the most authentic markets in the entire city is Mercado 10 de Agosto. This bustling Cuenca market is a destination of the surrounding villages, and find the locals scurrying about buying fresh from the fields vegetables, meat from the butchers, or purchasing beautiful flowers,. Not only are there incredible produce stands, but find a few unusual services as well.
Like any large South American city, there are multiple traditional markets in Cuenca, but there’s something special about Mercado 10 de Agosto. The pure diversity and vibe of the place is exhilarating to get lost in for an hour or two.
The simple building boasts a lovely stained glass windows. On some days, the market has so many vendors that spill out of the building and sell on the nearby streets.
While Mercado 10 de Agosto is fantastic, there are plenty of Cuenca markets to explore. From authentic produce markets, food stalls, to artisan markets, try to visit more than one type of market in Cuenca.
Here’s all you need to know about one of the best Cuenca markets, Mercado 10 de Agosto.
Table of Contents
- Where is the Cuenca Market | Mercado 10 de Agosto
- Things to Do at the Cuenca Market 10 de Agosto
- More Noteworthy Cuenca Markets
- Visit the Best Cuenca Market | Mercado 10 de Agosto
Where is the Cuenca Market? | Mercado 10 de Agosto
This Cuenca market is in the heart of the city, just a few blocks from the living room of the city, Parque Calderón. It’s only one block from the popular Plaza de San Francisco. Visiting an authentic market is one of the best ways to understand how the locals live in Cuenca and one of the best things to do in this colonial UNSECO World Heritage City.
Find this market here: Calle Larga 1147, Cuenca | Hours: Daily, 7:00-18:00. On Sundays, this Cuenca market closes by 15:00 | Tip: It’s possible to barter with venders, but wander past a few stalls to see how much the locals are paying
Things to Do at the Cuenca Market 10 de Agosto
The Mercado 10 de Agosto warrants at least an hour or two to explore. The best days to visit this Cuenca market is on Tuesdays and Fridays. On these days it’s possible to receive a soul cleansing from the powerful and mystical Limpias.
Head upstairs to visit the “Mamas,” who sell all the healing plant medicines and an array of magic potions to help you find love, attract money, or get rid of negative energies.
When is comes to eating at the Mercado 10 de Agosto make sure to sample the best one of Ecuador’s most beloved typical dishes: Hornados. Nibble on some traditional food, drink a juice, or even share a table with locals at lunch time. Whatever you do, eat at a local market.
All of these things can be authentic things can be found within the walls of the traditional market Mercado 10 de Agosto.
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Visit the Healing Limpias
At the Mercado 10 de Agosto, on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Limpias are working their magic. The Limpias are powerful women who help clean out bad energy from the soul. These healers set up their work stations underneath the escalators in the market. Find these spiritually tough women performing traditional methods on locals and tourists alike who are seeking to cleanse the inner depths of their souls.
A Limpia must be a woman, and she must be physically and mentally strong since she is working all day clearing the bad energy from souls. These women speak mostly Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas. When preforming the ceremony, the “diagnosis” of what is wrong with your soul comes in the form of an egg that is cracked open into a cup.
The Soul Cleaning Process
First, sit down in a small plastic chair and prepare to be smothered in the face with herbal plants. The plants have a lovely and calming scent, but it can be a little bit of a shock to be left gasping for air. After a few deep breaths, she begins whipping you with the same healing plants, shouting for the bad energy to be gone, to leave the body. The bad energy is whacked away from the head, stomach, chest, back, and the legs.
Next, an egg in the shell is rubbed all over your body. There is a gentleness in her ritualistic movements and somehow the egg does not break.
Next comes a cleansing with alcohol. This comes in an unusual way. She takes a sip of the strong liquid and sprays it from her mouth. Warning… the first spray is direct in the face. After the alcohol facial shower, she traces her fingers over your forehead in the movement of a cross. She continues to spray the stomach, and then a cross. The last spray is on the back, and with it, comes the final cross.
The egg has received all the energy of the cleansing. Finally, to analyze the “diagnosis of the soul,” she cracks open the egg into a plastic cup. There are usually a range of ailments of what is wrong with our souls. My egg determined that I have nervousness. I didn’t feel nervous. In fact, I felt pretty good for just being whacked in my face and taking an alcohol shower.
This is an authentic experience to have in the Cuenca market, and I highly recommend it!
Limpias in Mercador 10 de Agosto | When: Tuesday and Friday | Where to find the women: Under the escalator on the first floor of the Cuenca market | Price: $3.00 | Cleansing Duration: less than 10 minutes once you can snag an open chair
Rules of the Limpia Cleansing
There are 3 rules in order for the cleansing to be effective:
1. You must believe it will work.
2. You cannot shower for a day after the cleansing.
3. You must not say thank you! If you thank the Limpia, the bad energy will return back to you.
All this cleansing takes place right in the center of the market. People take off their shirts to get a full body cleansing, and young children sit next to the ancient, powerful women to relish in their healing abilities. Expect to find many children and babies waiting to see the Limpias. The thought process behind this is that children are young and vulnerable to bad energy.
Traditional Cuenca Market Musts | Stroll the “Mama’s” Aisle
Another unique things to do is to stroll down the “The Mama’s Aisle.” Find these women upstairs selling their plant medicines and enchanting potions for love, money, and anything else you could possibly desire. Almost concealed to the back corner of this Cuenca market, this aisle is dimly lit, giving it a mystical almost hidden feeling.
The women have plants stacked high to make healing teas and medicines. Their plants are also used by the Limpias to perform the cleansing. Find anything here from drinkable potions to candles that once lit bring prosperity. Look for incenses to burn for luck and energy and bottled fragrances extracted from plants. To receive a healing ailment, tell the mamas your health issues. These can be anything from digestion to sexual performance. The mamas can offer their healing solutions in the form of actual plants or extracted liquids from the plants.
Walking through this small aisle feels like stepping back into a time where only plants from the Earth healed us.
☛ Travel Tip | The Free Walking Tour in Cuenca does an excellent job of explaining these plants and the significance they play in Ecuadorian culture. Book here with them.
Cuenca Market Musts | Sample the Traditional Dish of Hornados
Hornados is one of Ecuador’s most popular traditional dishes. In this Cuenca market, there are plenty of these stalls serving up plates of this hearty dish. Hornados consists of slow roasted pig, which is usually on display, the most delicious little fried mashed potato balls stuffed with cheese called “llapingacho,” a small green salad, and don’t forget “mote,” or the giant native corn of Ecuador that garnishes the dish.
In Mercado 10 de Agosto, there are at least 8 stands on the second floor that offer this classic Ecuadorian dish.
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Where to Eat Hornados in Cuenca Ecuador
The most famous stand in Mercado 10 de Agosto is Doña Elsita Cardenas. She won the best Hornado competition in Cuenca and the second in all of Ecuador!
Where to find her: the first Hornado stall on the left when looking at all of the stalls. Hint, it is the most festively decorated | Price: Plates depend on size. Small $3 / Medium $4 / Large $5
☛ Travel Tip | Don’t know who to choose? Walk from stand to stand to sample which flavored pig you prefer! They are all clustered together on the second floor of the Mercado 10 de Agosto, and are eager to hand out some free samples.
More Things to Eat in Cuenca Markets
If Hornados doesn’t seem appealing to the palate, choose from a wide range of food stalls that are scattered about the second floor of Cuenca market. All the stalls are hopping with locals stopping in for a fast, but satisfying, meal. Walk past stalls with hornodos, ceviche, soups, juices, tamales, sweets, and many other traditional Ecuadorian dishes. The market has delicious smells wafting about with people selling everything and anything imaginable.
Anywhere on the second floor, you can find yourself rubbing elbows and eating with locals. The food is fresh and the prices are more than fair. The market offers lots of “almuerzos,” or cheap lunch menus and follow safe cleaning protocols. Check in the back for the women cutting up fresh ceviche. All the produce comes directly from the market, so it really doesn’t get much fresher than this.
Where to Drink in Mercado 10 de Agosto
Doña Margartia serves up one of the most delicious coconut juices I’ve ever had. She also offers cheap tamales for only 50¢. Service is always with a smile.
More Noteworthy Cuenca Markets
While Mercado 10 de Agosto is a bustling market, there are a few more markets worth a gander.
Mercado 9 de Octubre
The Mercado 9 de Octubre is not nearly as large as the city’s primary market, but it’s prime location and open lighted ceiling make this an excellent Cuenca Market to explore. The produce stands here are beautiful and oftentimes the fruit is stacked in thoughtful and beautiful piles.
Upstair, enjoy juice and food stalls under the vaulted glass ceiling. There is also colorful art decorating the wall.
Mercado 9 de Octubre has a spectacular location, sitting on the Plaza Cívica. There are plenty of benches to people watch and appreciate the quiet tranvia streetcar pass on by.
One block over, find the main commercial center of Cuenca, the Centro Comercial Rotari. Outside, take a stroll through the open air artisan market. Oftentimes you can find hidden gems, like a man milking his goats and selling the milk fresh on the spot.
The limpias also make an appearance outside of the Rotari commercial center. They set-up a tent right out front on Tuesdays and Friday mornings.
Find this Cuenca market here: Mariano Cueva & Pío Bravo | Hours: Daily, 8:00-17:00
Mercado 3 De Noviembre
The two story Mercado 3 de Noviembre is small, but has a nice location a few blocks from Plaza de San Sebastián. All of the produce stalls and vendors can be found on the first floor. Upstairs are a wide range of food stalls. On Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday, this market boasts fresh flowers.
Find this Cuenca market here: C. Mariscal Lamar 12-86 | Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00-16:00 / Sat & Sun, 8:00 – 13:00
Cuenca Markets for Artisan Goods
Those seeking Cuenca artisan goods should wander past the Rotari market near Mercado 9 de Octubre. There is also the Centro Municipal Artesanal Arts & Crafts located next to the lovely Plaza de San Fransisco. The bustling plaza has stalls and shops filled with everything from sweaters, panama hats, purses, and more. One block over from here, find the beautiful flower market in front of the Carmen de la Asunción Church. The Plaza de las Flores is colorful and surrounded by stunning colonial buildings, a must when visiting Cuenca.
Almost like a massive flea-market vibe, Feria Libre is THE local place to find anything you are looking for. Like all large markets, be mindful of your personal items. This place sprawls for blocks and can almost feel overwhelming. It’s located outside of town a bit, but the tram and frequent city buses pass by.
To purchase the most authentic artisan goods, take a day trip to one of the nearby artisan villages. Gualaceo is known for their beautiful macanas, handwoven shawls that are similar to a scarf. Many of the producers are using ancient techniques to weave and dye the fabrics. Chordeleg boasts intricate jewelry using the filigree method. SigSig is THE village to find handmade toquilla hats, or more commonly known as “Panama hats.” Of course, there are many more Ecuador villages close to Cuenca that have plenty of hidden gems.
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Visit the Best Cuenca Market | Mercado 10 de Agosto
In conclusion, the Mercado 10 de Agosto is, in my opinion, the best traditional market in Cuenca. Some of the best things to do in the Cuenca market are to receive a soul cleansing from Limpias, stroll through the “Mamas Aisle,” sample the typical plate of food that is hornados, or eat anywhere in this bustling market. Whether you end up simply wandering through the produce stands, admire the building, or buy a love potion, this typical market is a must on any Cuenca Ecuador itinerary.
There are no shortage of awesome Cuenca Markets scattered throughout the colonial city. Try to visit more than one!
Have you been to the Mercado 10 de Agosto in Cuenca Ecuador? Did you visit any other Cuenca market that you loved? Would you receive a cleansing from the Limpia women? Have you tried any of the traditional dishes in Ecuador? Let me know in the comments below!
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