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About Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Vilcabamba is a small valley in Southern Ecuador. Vilcabamba, from the quechua Huilcopamba means Valley of the Huilcos – after the huilco trees that are very common in this valley, is well known for its longevos or centenarians. Vilcabamba is also called the Valley of the Eternal Youth or the Valley of Longevity. It is a resort like town that has a great warm spring like climate year-round, but can also have a brutal rainy season. This small town is part of the province of Loja and is about a 45 minute drive away from the city of Loja. Vilcabamba, and nearby towns of San Pedro, Malacatos and Landangui, has always been a weekend getaway for people living in Loja, most wealthy lojanos have fincas or vacations homes in these small towns. Vilcabamba is also a popular gringo or foreigner destination. It used to be that most foreigners were backpackers passing through on their way to Peru and only a few would end up of staying as long term residents. But as the years have gone by, more and more foreigners are finding it a great place to retire or settle down.

Fountain and church in Vilcabamba, Ecuador
My parents moved to Vilcabamba in the 70’s, they wanted a calm and peaceful place to raise a family. At that time there were only a handful of gringos or foreigners living there – and yes, in Ecuador most foreigners are called gringos – even if they aren’t from the US. I was born in Vilcabamba, in an old adobe house in the middle of nowhere, and was probably the first Vilcabambeña born gringuita. I spent my childhood years there on our small farm, which was about an hour’s walk away from the town. Our remote barrio, Capamaco or Yamburara Alto, didn’t get electricity until I was about 8 or 9 years old. I still remember how excited we were when they installed it – we still didn’t get a TV for a few years after that because it was too remote to get any signal. Luckily our friends in town had a Betamax, so it always a special occasion when we got to go over to their place to watch cartoons (that were sent from their family in Canada). The lack of modern (or what was modern for that time) technology didn’t really matter much. We kids had a wonderful childhood full of freedom. I have great memories of climbing trees, picking fruit, building dams and swimming in the river, going on hikes, riding burros and horses, playing soccer, spending time in our tree house, etc.

One of the main streets in Vilcabamba Vilcabamba's church
Of course, Vilcabamba has changed a lot since then. It’s still a beautiful place, but everyone has cell phones and Wi-Fi. There are shops and restaurants on all the town’s streets. And, of course, there are a lot more foreigners living there than when I grew up – to the point that they don’t even know each other and don’t always integrate into the local community, but I don’t want to get into that hornet’s nest right now. It’s also not as safe as it was when I grew up, and there have been some crime problems recently – when I was growing up, the crime was limited to thieves stealing your chickens at night (and everyone knew who the chicken thief was).

Swimming spot in Vilcabamba Moras or berries in VilcabambaViejito or longevo in Vilcabamba Impact of modern day life on Vilcabamba
My parents and siblings still live in Vilcabamba, and I try to visit as much as possible. We spent 3 months there last summer and it was a really fun experience for my boys, ages 9 and 6 at the time. They especially loved spending time with my mom on the farm, swimming in the perfectly clear (and cold) small river, climbing trees, picking fruit, and playing with the animals (puppies, baby goats). They also enjoyed hanging out in the town with newly made friends, eating helados or ice cream, freshly made chocolate bread from the local bakeries, drinking fresh fruit juices, eating pizza at Charlito’s restaurant o Shanta’s restaurant, riding in the back of pickup trucks, playing futbol with my brother, and as my oldest put it “enjoying real freedom for once”. My husband, Nicolas, didn’t spend the entire summer there, but he loves it there. The first time we visited Ecuador, for a short 2 week trip, we had also planned to go to the coast and other parts of Ecuador. However, he liked it so much that we ended up spending almost the entire time in Vilcabamba. This last time I made sure he at least saw Quito and Cuenca, and he also really enjoyed Cuenca.

Swimming in the river in Vilcabamba Fun summer times in Vilcabamba

Kids picking fruit in Vilcabamba Riding a donkey in Vilcabamba

There are many things to do in Vilcabamba, you can go hiking, horseriding, camping, swimming in the cold and refreshing river, rent a bike, visit a local farm, get a massage, and more. But the real reason most people visit people is to relax and unwind, sit in hammock, read a book, enjoy the gorgeous sunsets and double rainbows, have a cold Pilsener or Club at one of the restaurants on the plaza, sit on a bench in the park in front of the church and enjoy some people watching, talk to the locals and to the local gringos – there are some really really really interesting characters in Vilcabamba.

Sunset in Vilcabamba Ecuador
Vilcabamba is located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level (about 5000ft), and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The most well-known mountain is called Mandango, and has the shape of a profile of a person lying down. The mountains above my parents’ farm lead to Podocarpus National Park, a large natural reserve. The town of Vilcabamba is relatively small and walkable; the main plaza is where most of the shops and restaurants are located. When I was growing up, there were a few shops and restaurants in the plaza, but most were also family homes. During the last visit I’m pretty sure that almost every single one is now some sort of shop or restaurant. There are also a large number of hotels and hostels in Vilcabamba, some are located in the town itself and other are spread through-out the valley.

This was a brief overview of my hometown of Vilcabamba, Ecuador. I will post more specifics about things to do, places to eat, and more photos in separate posts. Feel free to leave any comments and suggestions!

View of the peak of Mandango in Vilcabamba

View of Yamburara in Vilcabamba Vilcabamba Ecuador church

 

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Overview of my hometown of Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Article Name
Overview of my hometown of Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Description
My hometown of Vilcabamba is a beautiful valley in the Ecuadorian highlands. This small resort town is known for its great weather and laid back atmosphere.
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12 Comments

  1. My husband and I are planning on coming to Vilcabamba in 2014. We are scoping the town out as a place to live. I have many questions that I have not been able to find answers to on blogs I have seen. If you would be interested let me know in helping with some answers. Ila

  2. Hello.

    The huilco has nothing to do with the willow–which is, in the region of Vilcabamba, known as a sauce (sau-say). Quite unlike the willow, huilcos are legumes (nitrogen fixers), have bean-like seeds, and much, much harder wood. While it’s related to the mimosa, its thorns and habit make it apparently closer to the acacias.

  3. Este es un gran, gran pueblo sin duda y esta experimentando un crecimiento muy bueno, solo espero que no deje de ser el lugar pacifico y excitante que es.

  4. Piękne zdjęcia i ciekawy opis. Pozdrawiam

    Hermosas fotos y descripción interesante. saludos

    Facebook Roberttrebor Germany

  5. We are coming to vilcabamba this month and would like to stay in a inexpensive yet nice hotel that is near the farmers market. .. lots of fresh produce? 😉

    1. Hi Peggie – During our most recent trip we spent 2 weeks at the Rendez Vous (we’ve stayed there several times before and it’s one of our favorites). It’s very nice, beautiful gardens, includes a great breakfast, and great value. It’s also very close to town and to local stores that sell fresh produce. I think the market is just on weekends/certain days and very walkable – plus taxis are very inexpensive.

  6. Hi Laylita,

    First of all congratulations for your excellent recipes website, and secondly to be a beautiful and sweet Lojana 🙂 I’m also from Loja and at the moment I’m living in Malacatos. Recently I was living in Germany and as you know when we are abroad I was looking the traditional and ecuadorian recipes to show our gastronomy to my friends. Then, I find your website and I got down cooking some of your recipes. I like your explanations and the step by step photographs. And now much more because I know that you are Lojanita 🙂

    A strong hug from Loja
    Alexander

  7. I am hoping that some one can give me the physical mailing address to this wonderful little art studio in Vilcabamba The name is Arte Intercultural Vilcabamba. I have tried to reach the studio my email, but have not had any luck. Even a phone number would be better than nothing. Or perhaps even a tourist office in Vlicabamba that might have this information.

    Any help would be very much appreciated.

    Thank you!!!!

  8. Just returned from Ecuador on Tue. I fell in love with encebollada and can’t wait to try making it. Thank you for posting this recipe. Your children are very lucky to have a place to be truly free to play. We noticed this everywhere we went. Vilcabamba will be on my list for our next visit. Thank you for sharing!

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