Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
plazas, perfect climate and medieval city gates, Loja makes for a sweet stopover on the
Panamericana highway.
Just south of somewhat conservative Loja tucked into the 'Valley of Longevity' is the vil-
lage of Vilcabamba, a popular getaway for Inca royalty back in the day and a popular get-
away for holistic hippies today. What initially drew a wave of expats to Vilcabamba was a
1976 front-page Reader's Digest feature profiling the unusually high life expectancy en-
joyed by village locals. Some were even said to live up to 140 years old! After much sci-
entific research a swell of discrepancies were discovered and the good health of local res-
idents were finally chocked up to their intake of superfoods and mineral-rich waters that
permeate Vilcabamba's fertile valley. Nowadays, the tranquil village is popular for its
horseback riding opportunities, striking hikes and a few eco-retreats.
Cuenca
When Túpac Yupanqui lead his Incan army toward the fertile valley natives called
Guapondeleg, ('Plain Wide as the Sky') he was met with the unexpected and now le-
gendary resistance of the fierce Cañari - the tribal confederation of indigenous communit-
ies who long-inhabited the area. Tupac, the 10th and arguably most powerful of Incan
conquerors, was forced to retreat to Cuzco where he re-evaluated his plan to subjugate the
righteous Cañaris before eventually seizing power over the region by 1470.
To celebrate his victory, Túpac Inca Yupanqui began to build a beautiful city there that
would rival Cuzco as the heart of the Incan empire, a city that two generations later would
be subjugated by the Spanish in their quest for the mythical land of El Dorado, the city
now known as the colonial gem of Ecuador: Cuenca.
Santa Ana de los cuatro rios de Cuenca
is a modern day hub of indigenous culture set
amidst the best preserved colonial architecture in the country, designating it a UNESCO
World Heritage Site and the top retirement destination today. It's mostly mestizo popula-
tion of 450,000 live in short edifices that roll over hills and valleys in bright pastels with
the common sight of church domes and steeples punctuating the landscape. It's the third
largest city in Ecuador and the capital of the southern Azuay province.
