VILCABAMBA. A Health Journey stop for healing

The city of longevity

The Vilcabamba valley extends about fifty-five miles from the city of Loja in Ecuador. Vilcabamba, with its rivers with hight levels of  magnesium and iron, is famous for having  long-lived people. Its privileged climate, clear nights and lush vegetation make this small valley a lost paradise  and a meeting point for tourists from all around the world.

The name is composed Vilca coming from indigenous term for "huilco", the tree Anadenanthera colubrina with hallucinogenic properties that the Incas and other peoples who have inhabited the area considered magical and sacred, and Riobamba, which is a modification of "desert", bare ground, therefore, Vilcabamba means "Valley huilco". Currently, this tree is almost extinct except for some reservations in the area.

An alternative etymology: vilca comes from "willka" meaning sacred idol . Besides drift bamba "panpa" in Quechua. So Vilcabamba denotes "sacred plain".

Vilcabamba was characterized for being the home of a large number of  elderly people, for this reason is known as the "Valley of Longevity

Beautiful religious architecture







Vilcabamba Street



The City´s Gate



Horse back riding in Vilcabamba



The Upano river in Vilcabamba