I’ve made it to Ecuador!!! I’ve crossed the border from Peru and am in Vilcabamba at Hostería Izhcayluma. This is going to be a shorter instalment than my most recent posts simply because, aside from kicking back and relaxing in hammocks, I haven’t got up to much (which was the plan!)!
After hiking lots in Peru – specifically Huaraz where I did the 4 day Santa Cruz, 8 day Huayhuash and two day hikes – I was looking for a place to really chill.
I’d heard wonderful things down the traveller grapevine about this hostel, Hostería Izhcayluma, in Ecuador’s Vilcabamba. It sounded just what I was looking for so off I went!
I’ve spent four full days here enjoying the slow life and treating myself! I’ve been starting my day with yoga on an outdoor platform (7.30am is a tad early but hey!) which has been great. Having not done activity like that in four months, my body’s really felt it and I have all the achy tight muscles to show for it. It’s felt so good too!
Breakfast followed yoga, which although isn’t included is still worth getting! Fresh fruit salad, homemade granola, natural yoghurt, great bread and juice! It’s super filling and I’ve ended up passing on lunch and just getting dinner!
Relaxing by the pool or in hammocks, reading, short trail walks and eating great food has made up the rest of the days. I even treated myself to a full body massage one day which was amazing!
If you’re up to being more active than I was, there are plenty of walks to do and horse riding is also on offer.
One of the trails in the area is the Mandango trail. It looks cool, however I opted not to do it as a large part of it goes along a very narrow ridge. For me and my nerves when it comes to exposure, I decided it wasn’t best!
Vilcabamba centre
We also went into Vilcabamba centre several times which also has good food options available! Agave Blue is great for Mexican; I had a burrito and was really happy with it. There’s also a falafel restaurant, UFO, which I’ve heard good things about!
The hostel is on the outskirts of Vilcabamba so it’s a 20/25min walk down into town along the main road. You can get taxis to for $1.50. We would always walk into town and get a taxi back – $1.50 split three or four ways is so worth it!
How to get to Vilcabamba
Vilcabamba is located in Ecuador’s southern corner. If you’re already in Ecuador, you’ll most likely be coming from Cuenca or Loja. From Cuenca, you’ll need to get a 5hr bus to Loja, costing $7,50 (£6 approx), and then a 1hr30 colectivo from Loja to Vilcabamba, costing $1,25 (£1 approx). If you’re coming straight from Loja, you’ll only need to do the second part of the above journey.
If you’re staying at Izhcayluma, they run a shuttle service from Cuenca direct to the hostel. It costs $15 (£12 approx) and leaves at 1pm. It’s cheaper to get the local buses, but not by much. I opted for the shuttle back to Cuenca for ease, convenience and speed (4hr drive).
From Peru
La Balsa border crossing
Getting to Vilcabamba from Peru is also an option and the one I took. I did the La Balsa border crossing which is a lot less popular than the coastal one near Mancora and, until last year quite complex and super long to do.
With no direct connecting bus, it required two days to complete using a combination of local buses, colectivos, mototaxis, open back trucks…You get the picture, not easy! There are several blogs detailing the route breakdown if you have a google.
As of last year, the bus company, Nambija, started running buses from Yantzaza to Jaén, passing through Vilcabamba, and cutting out the most fiddly parts of the trip. Yay!!!
Buses leave Jaén daily at 1pm, take around 10hrs and cost 68 soles or $21 (£16 approx).
I did it, going from Peru’s Chachapoyas to Ecuador’s Vilcabamba in a day! I got a 6.30am colectivo with the company Fe y Alegria from Chachapoyas to Jaén. It took less than 4hrs and cost 15 soles (£3.50 approx).
I then took a mototaxi for 3 soles (less than £1) to the Nambija bus station, which is tiny and on the northern outskirts of Jaén. My driver wasn’t sure where it was, so Maps.me came in handy once again!
The crossing itself was probably the smoothest and quickest I’ve done! It’s funny that I was worried about not having bought a bus ticket in advance, thinking the bus would be full. There was only 10 of us on it and I was the only non-Peruvian/Ecuadorian!
Piura-Loja border crossing
If you’re nearer the coast in Peru, you can also get to Vilcabamba via the Piura-Loja border. From Piura, you can take a direct bus with Loja Internacional to Loja in Ecuador. It takes around 9hrs, leaves in the early morning or late at night, and costs $14 (£11 approx). Once in Loja, it’s a 1hr30 ride to Vilcabamba in a colectivo or bus that costs $1,25 (£1 approx).
Final thoughts
I loved loved loved my stay at Izhcayluma in Vilcabamba! Everyone travelling through Ecuador raves about it, it’s honestly for good reason!
My stay there was exactly what I needed after lots of hiking in Peru’s Huaraz. It was such a wonderful place to relax: hammocks, a pool, a great restaurant and a free yoga class in the morning!
I loved the yoga in the morning and it made me miss the body balance classes I used to go to back in the UK – four months into travelling and I’m out of practice for sure!
Really really recommend staying there if you’re looking for chill and I’d return in a heartbeat!
I’m now heading up to Cuenca for a few days and then I’m off to the Galapagos which is super exciting as I never thought I’d be going there on this trip!!
P.S. Sorry for all the hammock pics! I was living the hammock life!!
