Vilcabamba day trip from Loja

On the way to Vilcabamba was the parque podocarpus.

Parque Podocarpus

Parque Nacional Podocarpus, often referred to as the “Botanical Garden of America,” runs across the provinces of Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe. It is best k own for its incredible biodiversity, the park covers an impressive 1,500 square kilometers and varies in altitude from 900 to 3,600 meters (3,000 to 11,800 feet). This allows many diverse ecosystems to exist: lowland tropical forests to high-altitude páramos. The views here are amazing.

The park’s name comes from the Podocarpus tree, which is a type of conifer found in the cloud forests.

There are around 4,000 species of plants, many of which are rare or endemic. These include orchids, ferns, and giant bromeliads.

Unfortunately, we didn’t much wildlife, but somewhere there are spectacled bear, mountain tapir, and giant armadillo.  We did see one bird, an Andean guan.

A snack along the way

We stopped along the way to try some bread called bizcochuelo. It is much like a slightly sweet and a little drier spring cake. Paired with some sugar cane juice with naranjilla added to cut the sweetness.

Malacatos

We stopped to look at the church here and wander around to stretch our legs. I saw some coca cola flavored Oreos and had to try them! Yes, they had a hint of coca cola flavor and we’re quite tasty

Vilcabamba

This small town has a reputation for longevity among its residents. The name “Vilcabamba” comes from the indigenous Quechua language, meaning “Sacred Valley.” Now many expats and retirees live here and it draws international visitors who are interested in wellness, alternative medicine, and spirituality.

Yes, the water was very cold but maybe this imparts longevity too?
Sopa verde. Very fresh with peas.
Pescado. Excellent fish!
We were serenaded by a street musician.

We had time afterwards to peruse the shops and street vendors. Before we knew it, it was time to return to Loja

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