Current Time in Loja, Ecuador

Loja lies in the far south of Ecuador, in a green valley of the Andes known as Cuxibamba, at about two thousand one hundred metres above sea level. Mountains rise on every side, and two small rivers meet in the middle of the city. Because the Andes are lower and narrower here than further north, moist air from the Amazon crosses the range easily, giving Loja a mild, spring-like climate, abundant greenery and a reputation as one of the most pleasant places to live in the country.

Around two hundred and forty thousand people live in the city, the capital of Loja Province. Its economy rests on agriculture, education, commerce and administration, with coffee of increasingly high international reputation, sugar cane, maize and cattle in the surrounding valleys. Loja is also notable for renewable energy, since the country's first large wind farm was built on the ridge of Villonaco above the city, and for environmental management that has won it international recognition for recycling.

Founded in 1548 by the Spanish captain Alonso de Mercadillo, Loja is one of the oldest cities in Ecuador. Its isolation from the rest of the country, deep in the southern mountains, encouraged an independent spirit, and the city declared its own independence from Spain in 1820. In the seventeenth century the forests around Loja became famous throughout the world when the bark of the cinchona tree, growing on these slopes, was found to cure malaria. Quinine extracted from Loja bark saved countless lives, and the tree still appears on the national coat of arms.

The city is entered through the Puerta de la Ciudad, a castle-like gateway containing an art gallery and a viewing tower, which has become its symbol. The colonial centre has cobbled streets, painted façades with wooden balconies, a fine cathedral and the church of Santo Domingo, and the Calle Lourdes preserves a beautifully restored street of nineteenth-century houses. Parque Jipiro is an unusual and much-loved park containing scale models of famous buildings from around the world. Just outside the city lies Podocarpus National Park, a spectacularly biodiverse reserve of cloud forest and páramo grassland that shelters spectacled bears, mountain tapirs and hundreds of bird species, a magnet for birdwatchers.

Loja is known as the musical capital of Ecuador. Its conservatory has trained generations of composers and performers, its pasillo songs are sung throughout the country, and street music, choirs and festivals are constant. Each August an enormous pilgrimage brings the image of the Virgin of El Cisne into the city, filling the streets for weeks. The valley of Vilcabamba nearby is celebrated for the longevity of its inhabitants and attracts visitors seeking a peaceful mountain retreat.

An airport at Catamayo, good roads and frequent buses connect Loja with Cuenca, Guayaquil and Peru. The National University of Loja and a large private university, a pioneer of distance learning in Latin America, give the city a strong academic life.

Loja is loved for its music, its climate and its extraordinary natural surroundings.