History and Botanic Center
There are two daily flights from Quito to Loja, overlooking the avenue of the volcanoes. One can also take a bus from the city of Cuenca for a 4-hour drive with a breathtaking view, but through a winded road. The airport is located at “La Toma” in the Catamayo valley, 15.5 miles away from the city; an approximately 40 minute drive. You share a taxi to the city that will charge $12. The buses arrive into the center of the city.

The city of Loja stands 6724 feet above sea level, with an average temperature of 60 to 69 Fahrenheit. Colorful and lively. With a small population of approximately 150 thousand, the city has an active cultural life, and has several universities.
Loja is crossed by two rivers: Malacatos and Zamora, which give a unique personality to the city. It is one of the cleanest and safest cities in Ecuador. The city has streets, plazas, churches and monasteries of the colonial times, such as the Cathedral and the Santo Domingo, San Francisco and San Sebastian churches.
Most Lojanos are extremely religious. It is common to find religious processions at the Main Plaza, or sometimes even popular bands and fireworks. Lojanos are especially devoted to the “Virgen del Cisne” (Virgin of the Swan), a sculpture of the Ecuadorian Diego de Robles (XVI C), which is kept at the Cathedral for a long period of the year, but has a gothic church dedicated to her, 43 miles from the city.

ATTRACTIONS IN LOJA:
Lourdes Street
A stroll through this street sets you in an old colonial city, especially between Bolivar and Sucre streets. Observe the well preserved wooden balconies, interior patios, cobble stoned streets… and stop by at the small shops where you find a little of everything, as well as handicrafts.
Visit the “Cera” neighborhood to observe the elaboration of ceramic handicrafts.

Main Square
The buildings of the main civil and ecclesiastic authorities: the Province and City Governments, the Episcopal House and the Cathedral surround the plaza. Although the original architecture of most of these buildings has been modified, they still portray a taste of the Spanish legacy. The building that holds the Central Bank Museum still preserves its original architecture.

Central Bank Museum
The Museum is most interesting. It holds an archeological display (mainly of the Macara and Catamayo cultures), religious art of the XVIII Century, an ethnographic exhibit on the Saraguros, and a small display on the history and uses of the “quinina” plant. The museum also houses temporary exhibits on the first floor, and each month there is a concert. Call 2573 004 / 2563 351 for more information.

Botanical Garden
At the South of the city you find a Botanical Garden that is the only botanical garden at 6560 feet above sea level on the inter-Andean region. It is over 50 years old and holds more than 1.000 plant species.

Museo de la Musica
Located at Bernardo Valdivieso 09-42 y Rocafuerte. This museum displays musical instruments, notes, pictures and awards of nationally famous musicians from Loja.

Malacatos Valley:
Right off the city to the South, the charming Malacatos town holds colorful wooden houses that surround a main square where live music is played every Sunday.
At this site you can visit a sugar cane “molienda”. The “moliendas” are open Monday thru Friday and you can observe the workers throughout the whole process of elaboration of raspadura (sugar scraping), using the same machinery that has been used for generations.
On the way to Vilcabamba, observe a hill in the shape of a “sleeping Inca”. This hill is called Mandango, and is believed to have been sacred for the Incas.

Vilcabamba Valley
This charming valley (at 4.921 ft.) located approximately 1 hour south from Loja city (25 miles) has become a favorite spot for tourists, especially young adventurers on their way to or from Peru.

The name Vilka Bamba or Huilcopamba means “Sacred Valley” in the indigenous tongue Quechua. This site was reserved by the Incas for the main noble authorities, as it is a peaceful and quiet place. Perhaps this tranquility is the reason for the old age of the valley’s inhabitants. It is common to find healthy people of over100 years of age that live here and still work in agriculture. Many investigations have been made to determine the reason for the longevity of Vilcabamba’s inhabitants by doctors from Japan, the U.S. and Ecuador. Some factors have been identified: template weather, a water rich in minerals, a diet low in fat and high in fiber and magnesium, the peacefulness of the valley and the physical activity. People that suffer of heart disease move to Vilcabamba to imitate the lifestyle of its inhabitants.

From Vilcabamba you can arrange horse and bicycle excursions throughout the valley or in the nearby access to the Podocarpus National Park. The Municipality has opened an information office at the corner of the main park.

Podocarpus National Park
This National Park is located 11 miles South of Loja city. The park was named after a tree specie commonly known as “Romerillo” (Podocarpus Montanus). This is a gigantic Coniferous that has adapted to the tropical Andean forests. These trees can reach a height of 131 ft. and live up to 1.000 years. The Podocarpus or Romerillos are in danger of extinction because of the over exploitation of their valuable wood. Now they can be found at the Sabanilla region nearby Loja City and at the Podocarpus National Park.

Podocarpus NP holds 3.000 – 4.000 plant species and more than 600 bird species (including Macaws, Cock of the Rock, hummingbirds, toucans, tangaras, etc). It holds endemic bird species such as the Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi).

The park has an extension of 361.452 acres, and has several different ecosystems that range from the Paramo or moorlands at 12.073 ft, down to the low mountain forest at 2.952 ft, passing through the evergreen high-mountain and mountain forests. Among the plant species are: bromeliads, orchids and ferns, as well as the Mascarilla Chinchona, the Cecropias or Guarumos (Cecropia sp), and the bamboo (Chusquea sp.)
The entrance fee to the park is of $10. It is better to hire a guide at Loja City, since no information is found at the park’s entrances. From “El Refugio” it is possible to follow any of the 4 following trekking routes:
1) “Spectacled Bear” 437 yards
2) “Cloud Forest” 765 yards
3) “View Point” 1 mile or 3 miles, up to Sabanilla at 11.482 ft.
4) “Compadres Lagoon” 9 miles where you find a fluvial system made up of 105 lagoons, 3 of which are of easy access.

From the Podocarpus NP heading towards the Zamora province, you will encounter impressive formations of hills through a process of wind and water erosion. The picture below shows a formation called “Devil’s Cathedral”.

Tapichalaca Reserve
A special site for birdwatchers has been built in the Tapichalaca Reserve that belongs to the Jocotoco Foundation. Tapichalaca has an extension of 9386 acres. It borders the Podocarpus National Park and is located right off the border of the Loja Province with the Zamora Province. It is named after the Tapichalaca hill. Jocotoco is the common name of a bird specie (Grallaria ridgelyi) that was recently discovered (1997) at this site. This bird spends more time “walking” on the bushes than flying, and makes a sound similar to a dog bark.
There are bird feeders surrounding the house at the entrance to the reserve, where an amazing diversity of hummingbirds of all colors and sizes welcome visitors.

Photos courtesy of: Rodrigo Tapia, Fernando Sornoza & Gustavo Vallejo

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