Slower Travel, Real Life, and Finding Rhythm in Cuenca

If you’ve been following our journey through Ecuador, you already know the last few months have been equal parts adventure and adjustment.
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There’s the thrill of new places, sure, but also the constant motion: packing, buses, language barriers, and that daily question of “Where can we get decent Wi-Fi and food the kids will actually eat?”

Cuenca was the first place that gave us space to breathe again.
After the altitude of Quito and the sensory overload of Baños, this mountain city quietly reminded us that travel doesn’t always have to be fast to feel meaningful.

We arrived planning to stay a week. We left after almost three.
It wasn’t because Cuenca had the most attractions (though there’s plenty to do), but because it offered something better, routine, calm, and the first glimpse of what sustainable long-term travel could look like for our family.

Mornings meant walking to the bakery for fresh bread and maracuyá juice. Afternoons were for the park, with kids racing scooters while we caught up on client work from a shaded bench. Evenings were slow: street musicians, sunset over the red-tiled rooftops, and the comforting hum of a city that didn’t rush us.

It truly is a family friendly city.

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Why Slow Travel Matters (Especially With Kids)

Before we left home, I imagined long-term travel would mean constant adventure.
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And yes, there are those moments, volcano hikes, jungle buses, border crossings at midnight, but they’re balanced by the quiet days that actually make it possible to keep going.

With kids, “slow travel” isn’t a luxury; it’s survival compared to sol travel
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It’s where schoolwork happens, laundry gets done, and everyone’s nervous systems catch up.

Cuenca was the reset we didn’t know we needed.
It taught us that slowing down isn’t falling behind, it’s the only way to go further.

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Your Free Cuenca Family Map

We wanted to pass on what helped us most, so we pulled everything together into one simple Google maps you can use too.

👉 Grab the Free Cuenca Family Map​

It includes:

• Parks & playgrounds that gave the kids freedom (and us a coffee break).
• Cafés & bakeries with good Wi-Fi, real coffee, and space for families.
• Budget eats that didn’t sacrifice quality.
• Markets & practical stops - where we bought fruit, found laundry services, and lived like locals.
• Banks and cash points - Yes trust us its needed when needed to know which is safe to take money out
• A few quiet corners we stumbled into on purpose.

No sponsorships, no fluff, just the real Google maps from our own stay, tested by real family chaos.
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If you’re planning Ecuador, this map will save you time, stress, and at least one meltdown before breakfast.

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What It’s Really Like Living in Cuenca

Cuenca feels instantly different from other cities in Ecuador.
There’s history in every stone street, but it’s also clean, safe, and full of community life. We’d often sit in Parque Calderón watching grandparents feed pigeons while students played guitar nearby. People smiled easily. The pace was human.

It’s also a city that rewards curiosity. The best empanadas weren’t near our Airbnb, they were two blocks behind a small church, sold by a woman who chatted with our kids every morning. Those everyday moments became the memories that stuck.

We also fell in love with a local cafe/restaurant that did all veggie food called El Neuvo Paraiso, they had big portions and for such a cheap price.

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New on the Blog: Things to Do in Cuenca With Kids

If you want a deeper look at what makes this city so family-friendly, our new post is live:
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👉 Things to Do in Cuenca With Kids​

It’s packed with real experiences, where we played, what surprised us, and how we kept travel days fun without spending much.
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It’s part guide, part reflection, and the natural companion to the map.

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The Work Behind the Wander

While Cuenca gave us rest, it also reminded us that long-term travel is a balance of motion and maintenance...and money plays a big part in that.

A lot of people ask how we’re funding this journey.
The short answer: piece by piece.

We’re still mostly living off slowly disappearing savings, if I’m honest. But freelance work is starting to take shape. I’ve begun picking up SEO content projects for travel brands and small businesses, nothing huge yet, but enough to make it feel like the start of something real.

Tania’s been teaching English on Preply, which fits perfectly around our family routine and travel days. Some days we both manage to get a few quiet hours in from a café; other days it’s me working from whatever living accommodations we're in. it’s progress, and for now, that’s enough.

Tools we rely on:

• ​SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: protects us while working and travelling.
• ​Wise: lets us get paid and move money between currencies without losing half to fees.
• Notion: keeps our projects, client work, and travel plans in one organised mess.

The blog is slowly starting to cover its own costs too.
Affiliate links for things we actually use, hostels, gear, insurance, earn small commissions that go straight back into travel expenses. It’s not about selling; it’s about helping other families skip the guesswork.

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The Reality of Working While Travelling With Kids

Balance is a myth, it’s really about rhythm.
Some weeks we manage both work and play beautifully; others we’re typing from hostel hallways while our youngest yells about socks.

What helps:

• Clear work blocks. Early mornings for writing, afternoons for family.
• Offline weekends. Because memories matter more than metrics.
• Shared calendar. Everyone knows when “Dad’s work time” means minimal interruptions (in theory).

We’ve learned that freedom doesn’t mean doing everything at once, it means deciding what matters that day and letting the rest go.

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Why Cuenca Was Worth Slowing Down For

In a trip defined by movement, Cuenca became the reminder that stillness is part of the story too.
It gave us a taste of what sustainable travel feels like time to work, time to rest, time to live normally in a not-so-normal life.

If you’re travelling through Ecuador, give yourself at least a week here. Wander the parks, drink too many coffees, and let the city’s pace recalibrate yours.

Because sometimes the best travel days aren’t the ones filled with new sights, they’re the ones that give you space to actually see each other again.

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What’s Next

We’re now in Peru, and have some best places for families and surf and up North.
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We'll drop that in the next newsletter.

Until then, grab your Cuenca map, read the blog, and remember that long-term travel isn’t about how far you go, it’s about how present you can stay along the way.

👉 Grab Our Cuenca Family Map​
👉 Read: Things to Do in Cuenca With Kids​

Thanks for reading, cheering, and believing that travel with kids doesn’t have to wait for “someday.”

Until next time,
​Sean

P.S. What would you love us to include in the next family map—beaches, hidden cafés, local classes for kids? Hit reply and let us know. We’re already building the next one for Peru.

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Other Travellers

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