Vilcabamba

We had not planned on visiting Vilcabamba, but several Ecuadorians recommended that we check out it. We’re really glad that we did because it’s a lovely town with lots of great hikes, beautiful views, and warm weather. Vilcabamba reminded us of Baños because it is located in a beautiful valley and guests tend to stay longer than they had planned.


Vilcabamba is most famous for the longevity of its residents – people in the town live to be well over 100 years old. Our guide to the Podocarpus park, Jaime, explained why the locals live such long lives. First, most of the residents are farmers and the Vilcabamba area is quite hilly so residents get a lot of exercise just by going about their normal routines. Second, all of the food produced in the valley is organic and pesticide free. Finally, the water in the valley is particularly rich in minerals that contribute to good health. Word has gotten out about the longevity of the residents – during our stay there were lots of retired gringos checking out real estate in the area.

Hike to Mandango

We spent an afternoon hiking up to Mandango, the Sleeping Inca, a mountain that overlooks Vilcabamba. The views from the top of Mandango, Vilcabamba and the rest of the valley are stunning!!! The first two-thirds of the hike were pleasant, though it got pretty hot because there are sections with no shade. Along the path we encountered some grazing cows and bulls. I got a little freaked out when one of the bulls stepped toward us as we approached and insisted that we walk off the path to go around the bulls. The last third of the hike was very steep and there were lots of loose rocks. This hike should not be done if it is raining because the path gets very narrow and you can fall pretty far.


Podocarpus National Park

We did a horse-back riding day trip to the Podocarpus National Park. We booked our tour with a company called La Tasca, and they turned out to be great! The owner of La Tasca owns land in the Podocarpus reserve, so we got to enjoy a private tour of this section of the park. Our guide Jaime was very knowledgeable, professional and friendly. We rode our horses from Vilcabamba on a rode out of the town then up a steep, muddy trail to the entrance of the park. During the ride we got to enjoy phenomenal views of the surrounding mountains. We also saw Podocarpus trees that are endemic to the area.


After riding for about two hours, we began to hike through sections of the park. We hiked down to a beautiful waterfall where we had our lunch. Then we climbed back up another path and ended up in the spot where we had left our horses. Parts of this hike were really difficult because of the steepness of the path and the muddy conditions in the park. But the views of the park were stunning!


Though we really enjoyed our visit to Podocarpus, we would not recommend this tour for inexperienced riders. You end up spending about four to five hours on the horse, and the ride to and from the path to Vilcabamba is done at a gallop pace. This was really painful for us novices. I was unable to finish the ride back to Vilcabamba because my lower back was in a lot of pain. We also felt really sore for several days after our visit.

Where we ate

Café Sambuca: This place has good Mexican food and nice outdoor seating facing the main plaza.
Shanta’s: Cool, rustic setting and delicious food. Minh had a filet mignon and I had frogs’ legs.

Where we stayed

Le Rendez-Vous: We really enjoyed our stay at Le Rendez-Vous. All of the rooms in this bed and breakfast face a beautiful garden, and each has a small patio with a table, chairs and hammock in which to relax. Our room was spacious, clean and very comfortable. Breakfast was delicious and included fresh bread baked on the premises, and the option of a fruit salad instead of eggs. We paid $26 for a room with a queen bed and private bathroom with hot water. The hotel has wi-fi that costs an additional $4 per day.

Garden outside our hotel room

More Photos of Vilcabamba