Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba, meaning Sacred Valley, is a quiet, scenic, peaceful town near the Podocarpus National Park in southern Ecuador.

Get in
It is a one hour bus ride from the City of Loja. There are international buses from Piura (10 hours $10) on Peru´s Panamerican Highway 3 times daily. Transportes Loja has buses from Loja throughout Ecuador. Access is also possible from Iquitos & Chachapoyas in Peru via the frontier at Balsas & Zumba

Get around
A camioneta cooperative is run from the main square. It is $1 to get around pretty much everywhere in the town.

Do

 * Self-guided treks or hire a guide into the surrounding mountains or the national park Podocarpus. Many hotels (including Cabanas Rio Yambala, Rendez-Vous, Rumi Wilco, and Izhcayluma) have trail maps. Or just pick a direction and walk the dirt roads going into the countryside. Beautiful. Don't take any valuables up the Mandango mountain - many armed robberies occurred there over the years, continuing into July 2011 when a group of tourists were robbed by men with machetes. All other trails appear to be safe.
 * Rent a mountain bike at El Chino (corner of Diego Vaca de Vega & Jose David Toledo), $8 per day. Ask for a map of where to go. Recommended.
 * Do a 2-hour, 4-hour, or 1-3-day horse-riding trips. There are quite a few reputable tour operations in town. Tours to Las Palmas cloud forest in the Podocarpus National Park can be arranged through Cabañas Rio Yambala, 4km out of town.
 * Get a massage, manicure, pedicure or wax at a few locations in town or at Hosteria Izhcayluma, 2 km south of town. Massages at the salon next to Yogurt cafe (just off the main square) are good and cost $10 for one hour. The best massages in town, however, are done by Lola, of Shanta's restaurant/bar (10-minute walk from parque central, on road to Craig's Book Exchange). She only does two per day and appointments are hard to come by, but it's worth the effort. She starts by giving you an all-over assessment of what's needed, then proceeds to give a powerful manipulative massage, incorporating many modalities: chiropractic, Swedish, Eastern styles. She's very empathic and has 14 years experience plus lots of training. She uses hot oil, mmm... $14 for 80 minutes.
 * Spend a bucolic afternoon at one of the restaurants around the main plaza.

Eat

 * La Terraza: Central Plaza (corner of Diego Vaca de Vega and Bolivar). Serves Mexican and Italian food. Excellent chicken fajitas and nachos. Mains are $3 to $6.
 * Charlito's: (on Diego Vaca de Vega, above Sucre) Run by a friendly Virginian named Charlie, they have good cheap food and drinks. The veggie sandwich is especially recommended, inexpensive and filling.
 * Shanta's Bar: Calle Diego Vaca de Vaga, past the bridge, 15 minute walk East of town. Cool atmosphere with a cowboy vibe. Bar seats are horse saddles and the walls are covered in international money, weird animal hides, and neat photos. Serves pizza, filet mignon, and pasta. Good food. Mains $3 to $6. Large menu of drinks, including their homemade Snake Drink moonshine.

Drink
Drink the magic springwater that Vilcabamba is famous for.



Sleep

 * El Agua de Hierro is under new management (same family as former owner, who was run out of town after sexually assaulting a guest), and it's actually a nice place to stay, with swimming pool, jacuzzis, sauna, steam room, bar, all the amenities. Dorm beds for $7, private rooms starting at $12. Long-term rentals available for $150/month.
 * Hostel Le Rendez-Vous: Calle Diego Vaca de Vega 06-43. Owners are a French couple Isabelle and Serge. Beautiful cabanas around a garden. Very clean, very nice, and lots of hot water. Breakfast is included: home-made bread, eggs or fruit salad, fresh fruit juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. 1 person is $15 per night, 2 people are $12 per person per night, and 3 people are $11 per person per night. They have a large collection of DVDs with a portable TV/DVD player, hammocks, information booklets on Vilcabamba, Ecuador, and Peru, hiking maps of the area, and WiFi ($4/day).
 * Hostería Izhcayluma: Owners are 2 German brothers, Peter and Dieter. Located about 2 km south of town, overlooking the valley. Different kind of accommodation, surrounded by fantastic tropical gardens. Dormitory bed for $10, double room for $12-15 per person, single room for $19. Generous buffet breakfast is included: home-made bread, eggs or crepes, fruit salad with home made yogurt and granola, fresh fruit juice, coffee and tea as much as you like, etc. Private cabañas also available for more. A swimming pool and spa services (massages, facials, etc.) are available. Several self-guided hiking trails are offered in the Vilcabamba area with excellent maps based on air photos. The panorama restaurant with great views is also open for lunch and dinner. They have a large collection of DVDs which can be watched, last one starting at 17:00. On-site bar with a pool table and ping pong table opens at 19:00 (guests only). There's a community of international travelers to be found. Wi-Fi connection for free. This place is one of a kind and definitely worth a visit, even if only for a meal with the incredible view. However, service can often be on the slow side- you can wait half an hour for a drink from the bar.
 * La FloridaLong-term rentals only. Basic but decent one-bedroom duplexes with private bathroom and kitchen for $150/month. Rooms with private bathroom and shared kitchen for $100/month. Room with shared bathroom and shared kitchen for $80/month. Located across the street from Agua de Hierro.
 * La FloridaLong-term rentals only. Basic but decent one-bedroom duplexes with private bathroom and kitchen for $150/month. Rooms with private bathroom and shared kitchen for $100/month. Room with shared bathroom and shared kitchen for $80/month. Located across the street from Agua de Hierro.

Go next
Shared taxis ($1.75 per person) run from the main bus stop to Ruta 11 Mayo taxi co-op in Loja, on Calle Universitad when there are 4 people to fill a car, takes 45-60 min. Buses ($1.25-1.30) run every hour, takes about 1-1½ hr to the bus station in Loja.