Getting to and away from Vilcabamba

By Nili Larish

Located near the southern tip of Ecuador, the easiest way to get to Vilcabamba is to fly to Loja, the nearest major city.

Tame (www.tame.com.ec) offers regular, daily flights to an airport about 40 minutes outside of Loja. This 45-minute flight from Quito to Loja costs approximately $80 each way.

From the airport, take a cab to the bus station in the city center (about $12), where you will be able to catch a bus to Vilcabamba, about an hour’s ride south of Loja.

From Loja, buses leave hourly to Vilcabamba, and the ride costs approximately $1. Bus companies that head to Vilcabamba include Cariamanga, Vilcaturis and Sur Oriente.

The ride from Quito to Loja by bus is 15 hours long, and costs around $15. Head to the Terminal Terrestre in Quito for departure schedules. Some travelers stop in Cuenca and head south from there. As there is no direct bus to Vilcabamba, a ride from Cuenca to Loja is 5 to 6 hours long and costs about $7. Buses leave hourly.

Should you head to Loja from Guayaquil by bus, the ride is about 10 hours long and costs $10. Most are overnight rides.