LOJA CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES

CIUDAD DE LOJA 

Although the town itself is particulary exciting, It´s difenitely attractive, and travelers on their way to Peru via the border town Macará find this a convenient place to stop. Loja is also the departure point for visiting Vilcabamba to the sounth, Zamora to the east and the beautiful Parque Nacional Podocarpus nearby. Also you can visited Saraguro.

Loja was founded by the Spanish captain Alonso de Mercadillo on December 8, 1548, meaning it´s one of the oldest towns in Ecuador. Although few of its original buildings survive, the city has some lovely 18th century architecture. Loja is both an important provincial capital and a college town, with two universities, a music conservatory and a law school.

INGAPIRCA

THE INCA TRAIL TO INGAPIRCA 

The most important Inca site in Ecuador, Ingapirca was built toward the end of the 15th century during the Inca expansion into present-day Ecuador. The site, 50 km nort of Cuenca, was built with the same mortarless, polished-stone technique used by the Inca in Peru. Although less impressive than site in Peru, it's definitely worth a visit. A guided tour explains the design and significance of the various ruins.

For an economical visit, catch a direct Transporte Cañar bus ($2.50 two hours) from Cuenca's  bus terminal at 9am or 12:20pm. Buses return to Cuenca at 1pm and 3:45pm. More frequent buses from Cuenca depart half-hourly to El Tambo, where you can catch an onward bus or taxi ($5) to Ingapirca, 8km further.