Once an isolated village, Vilcabamba is becoming increasingly popular with Lojanos and foreign visitors as well. Enjoy a layover between Ecuador and Peru in this beautiful area where people come to relax. The village is tranquil and is surrounded by stunning mountains where there are excellent trails for hiking. Treat yourself to a massage or facial, a trend that was started by the resident population. There are many places to stay and several tasty restaurants. Be sure to try Natural Yogurt, a small restaurant with homemade yogurt, savory crepes, coffee, and drinks. Another delicious spot is Café Sambuca which has amazing Mexican food. Vegetarians can rest easy knowing they will be able to find nourishment in this small Ecuadorian town. El Otro Lado has mainly vegetarian dishes and Vegetariano is a small vegetarian restaurant in a nice garden.
When you arrive in town, stop at the tourist office on the main plaza with any questions. You may be approached in the Loja bus terminal by people advertizing hotels in Vilcabamba. However, there are many excellent accommodations so you are better off choosing your own. Ask to be taken to the hotel of your choice or to the main plaza where you can safely and easily browse around.
Vegetarian Dishes
Vilcabamba is an excellent place for excursions. Many visitors end up staying forever and open up cafés, horseback riding tours, and rustic hotels offering a place to kick back. Most horseback riding tours take riders to private reserves in the foothills east of town. Hikers can continue on foot through cloud forests to the high cold páramos of Podocarpus National Park where there are beautiful orchids growing wild.
The town is known among travelers for its locally-produced hallucinogenic cactus juice called San Pedrillo. It is illegal and can cause flashbacks or months after use. The resulting medical condition can affect sufferers for the rest of their lives and is named the "Vilcabamba Syndrome." The town is also famous as the "valley of longevity" as inhabitants supposedly live to be over 100. This may be attributed to their simple, hard-working lifestyle, a healthy diet, and excellent climate. However, scientific evidence has been unable to substantiate these beliefs, but the legend lives on.
Past quaint Vilcabamba, a dirt road continues south to Yangana, Valladolid, Palanda, and Zumba. All of these towns have very basic accommodation and simple places to eat. There are many buses along this route which takes passengers through wild and beautiful scenery.
Vilcabamba Travel
This guide to Vilcabamba in Ecuador was written by an Ecuador travel expert at Latin America For Less available to help you custom design your exciting and adventurous Ecuador vacations.
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