{"id":19938,"date":"2019-10-14T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wanderbusecuador.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/14\/vilcabamba-ecuador\/"},"modified":"2021-07-21T22:17:52","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T03:17:52","slug":"vilcabamba-ecuador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderbusecuador.com\/es\/vilcabamba-ecuador\/","title":{"rendered":"Vilcabamba, the Valley of Longevity"},"content":{"rendered":"

As if taken from a fairy tale, Vilcabamba Ecuador is one of those magical villages in the middle of nowhere that gives you the feeling of being in another dimension, especially if you’re coming from a big metropolis.<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as you enter this little town, you’ll feel the mystical energy that surrounds this place and its people, some of which have been walking on this earth for more than 100 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vilcabamba<\/b><\/h2>\n

The secret of longevity is in Vilcabamba<\/b><\/h2>\n

Since the 70\u2019s Vilcabamba Ecuador has been a focal point for many scientific studies in order to find the answers to the longevity of its elders. It’s not uncommon to meet these people during their morning walks around the central plaza, or just taking a nap on the front porch of their houses.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, what’s their secret?<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

The inhabitants of Vilcabamba – Ecuador claim their longevity is simply the result of having an uncomplicated lifestyle in harmony with the environment. Healthy habits, which are no longer a part of the modern world we live in, like growing their own organic food, having a healthy diet, keeping an active life, swimming in the <\/span>clean waters<\/b> of the river that flows near the village, breathing smoke-free <\/span>pure air<\/b> (surprisingly Vilcabamba less cars then any other town in Ecuador), and most importantly, drinking the water that comes directly from the tops of the ice-capped mountains.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, in the last years, the number of tourists and expats has increased, bringing with them the \u201cmodern world\u201d needs, changing a bit the original concept of this beautiful town.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even more, since most of the elders of Vilcabamba don’t remember exactly how old they are <\/span>– well, if you are more than 100 years, you more likely will forget your exact age, I guess –<\/span><\/i> there is a new hypothesis claiming that there’s actually no such thing as longevity here, simply the mere fact that old people lose their memories.<\/span><\/p>\n

Personally, if this hypothesis were real, how else can you explain the scientific results regarding the studies about the mountain water that surround this valley?<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientific studies have come to the conclusion that these waters have a high concentration of <\/span>magnesium<\/b> and <\/span>potassium<\/b>, among other minerals, as well as a negative charge of its ions, which provides enough <\/span>alkalinity<\/b> to the water to purify the villagers\u2019 bodies of the excess of heavy minerals. This means Vilcabambans maintain an <\/span>ideal balance of minerals<\/b> that serves as protection against common diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and bone problems, some people even dare to say this \u201csacred water\u201d can cure depression and anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I dare to say that even if these people are not really long-livers, their quality of life is amazingly better than ours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to arrive there?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, being in this place has its price to pay: the location. Vilcabamba is a valley located in southern Ecuador, it is very close to the Podocarpus National Park, and the closest city is Loja.<\/span><\/p>\n

The good thing is once in Loja you can easily catch a bus to Vilcabamba, there is a bus leaving every hour, it takes 1 and a half hours to get to Vilcabamba and it only costs you $1.50. The other option is taking a taxi from Loja, which takes around 45 minutes to get to Vilcabamba and costs about $20.00.<\/span><\/p>\n

But how to get to Loja?<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

The fastest way by bus is through <\/span>Cuenca<\/a><\/strong> (don\u2019t forget that some of the awesome options Wanderbus has that can take you to Cuenca). There are three bus companies leaving Cuenca\u2019s bus terminal every hour, it takes 4 hours to get to Loja and costs around $7.00.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, if you are in <\/span>Quito<\/a><\/strong> you can catch a flight. Flights take about an hour to get to Loja and cost around $90.00.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/b><\/h2>\n

Why would you love this valley?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Incas wouldn\u2019t have called this place \u201cThe Secret Valley\u201d or \u201cThe Inca playground\u201d for nothing. Everything in this valley makes it magical, but let\u2019s make a list of the highlights of Vilcabamba Ecuador, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n