Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- The nearest airport to Vilcabamba is Aeropuerto Camilo Ponce, outside of Loja. Taxis are always waiting for incoming flights. A ride from the airport to Loja costs about $4 (£2.20). From Loja you can take one of the very frequent buses or minivans to Vilcabamba . A direct taxi ride from the airport to Vilcabamba should cost around $25 to $30 (£14-£17).

By Bus -- Vilcabamba Turis (tel. 07/2640-065) and Sur Oriente (tel. 07/2571-755) make the run between Loja and Vilcabamba roughly every 15 to 20 minutes between 6am and 7pm. The fare is $1 (55p) and the ride takes a little over 1 hour. Sur Oriente uses large, traditional buses, while Vilcabamba Turis uses slightly faster minivans. Both leave from the main terminal in Loja, and in Vilcabamba they arrive at and leave from the corner of Avenida Eterna Juventud and Jaramillo, 1 block south and 1 block west of the central plaza.

By Car -- If you are driving to Vilcabamba, follow the directions to Loja , and then take E39 south to Vilcabamba. Historically, this road has been in horrendous shape, but it received major refurbishing in 2006 and 2007. It remains to be seen how long it will stay in good shape. Currently, the drive takes around 45 minutes.

Orientation

Vilcabamba is a tiny town. The main downtown area measures only 4 square blocks or so, with a main plaza at its core. The town's principal Catholic church is on the south side of this plaza.

Getting Around

You can easily walk anywhere in town. Walking and horseback riding are the main means of transportation here. Numerous vans and shared taxis make the run to Loja, and a few locals with pickup trucks serve as taxis for runs around the valley. Most rides cost $1 to $3 (55p-£1.65).

Fast Facts -- There's an information office (tel. 07/2580-890) on the northeast corner of the main plaza, and a small hospital (tel. 07/2673-188) 1 block north of the main plaza.

There are no banks in Vilcabamba, but a Banco de Guayaquil ATM lies just off the main plaza, next to the tourist information office. This machine sometimes runs out of money or goes on the blink, so I recommend you stock up in Loja, or you could be making an emergency run back there for cash. There are a couple of Internet cafes in town, although when tourism is running high, the terminals fill up fast. The best option is Vilcanet (tel. 07/2673-124), on the southwest side of town on Huilcopamba near Juan Montalvo.