ARRIVING IN VILCABAMBA: THE FIRST VIEW

Map of Loja Province Click to Enlarge

Arriving by road from Loja, glimpses of the Vilcabamba valley appear as you crest the rim from the valley of Malacatos. Descending through the village of San Pedro de Vilcabamba, a panorama of the valley opens up. The valley floor is a patchwork of sugarcane and corn fields, mixed orchards and gardens, and small groves of bamboo and trees. The town of Vilcabamba lies at the center of this patchwork, with its plaza (main square) at an elevation of 1560 m.

Most of the hillsides that rise up from the valley floor are below 2000 m (6560 ft). The highest are 2200 m (7200 ft). Pastureland dominates the slopes, criss-crossed by an almost geometric pattern of cow, donkey and horse tracks. To the southeast, rising up beyond these hillsides, are the mountains at the head of the valley’s watershed. These mountains, reaching an elevation of 3700 m (over 12,000 ft), lie within the western side of Podocarpus National Park.