🏘️ Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Vilcabamba is a village in the southern region of Ecuador, in Loja Province, about 45 km (28 mi) south of the city of Loja. The name ‘Vilcabamba’ apparently derives from the Quichua ‘huilco pamba’. Huilco denotes the sacred trees, Anadenanthera colubrina, that grow in the region; pamba means ‘plain’.The area has been referred to as the ‘Playground of the Inca’, which refers to its historic use as a retreat for Incan royalty. The valley is overlooked by a mountain called Mandango, the Sleeping Inca, which is said to protect the area from earthquakes and other natural disasters.