Mercado El Arenal, the largest farmer's market in Cuenca, was a six minute walk from our condo. 

​A couple of times a week, we walked to the market to pick up fresh produce.
We were consistently blown away by the variety, beauty and abundance.

All types of produce are available year-round. 
Explanation: Cuenca is on the equator, high in the Andes.   Oranges, pineapples, mangos and banananas come from the tropical lowlands, strawberries, blueberries from the more temperate mid-regions with other vegetables, like potatoes, coming from higher elevations.
We were astonished by the variety of potatoes available, many of which we had never heard of, much less seen or tasted.
In Ecuador, there are about 350 varieties of potatoes, about 14 are commonly found in the markets.  

Most of the produce was in the ground, on the bush or hanging from the tree a few hours before we bought it.
While meat hanging in the open-air markets was unquestionably fresh, we bought our meat and other non-Ecuadorian, must-haves at the local "Gringo Markets". 

These Supermercados (supermarkets) sell fresh meat in packages and carry, in addition to locally produced items, products from around the world.
It was a challenge, for the two of us, to carry home $10 worth of produce from the market.  Groceries for the week generally ran $50-$65 (included breads and pastries from the local bakery).
To continue exploring Cuenca, click one of the links below.