Travel Guide Loja

This rather large city (170,000 inhabitants) is today the capital of the province of the same name. Thanks to its system of selective sorting and recycling of garbage and waste water, unique in the country, Loja is one of the most ecological cities in the world. Many colonial-style houses have been restored and the city has a very attractive, coquettish air. Loja is also known as the musical and cultural capital of the country because many musicians were born there. Its population, a welcoming bourgeoisie, prides itself on speaking the purest Castilian of the country! Moreover, the local architecture - the Independencia, San Sebastián and San Juan del Valle squares, the Plaza Mayor and San Francisco Park - bears witness to a rich colonial past. Finally, for those who like to eat, there is a typical local dish: el repe blanco (green banana, milk and cheese). From August 12 to 19, Loja celebrates the feast of the Virgin of Cisne in its cathedral; in November, the feast of the city's independence; on December 8, the feast of its foundation.