Loja is an unjustly overlooked town. It's one of Ecuador's oldest cities and a modern town with a rich cultural heritage. Loja is known as the "Capital Musical del Ecuador" (Music Capital of Ecuador) as well as the "Ciudad doblemente universitaria" (Double university city). Loja is a source of culture. A local saying is: "The one who does not play the guitar can sing a song; the one who does not sing a song can write a verse; the one who does not write a verse reads a book."

History and Culture
It was founded by Alonso de Mercadillo in 1548 and has the distinction of being the first city in the country to be wired for electrical power provided by a hydroelectric dam that was completed in 1896. Loja has become a tourist attraction because of the beautiful architecture of its historic downtown, with narrow streets, and houses whose façades have been painted with strong colours that call the attention of visitors.

Tourist Offices
There is a tourist information office on the corner of Eguiguren and Bolívar, which is open from 8.30am – 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays.

Sightseeing
You can see everything there is to see in town within a couple of hours, there's a small museum, an old church and some pleasant plazas to walk around. There is a huge castle just outside town that has an art gallery and a café inside. After you've seen all of these you should head out towards the parks, the university park and the botanical gardens are well worth a visit.

Getting there
The nearest airport is 30km away in Catamayo. You can fly there from Quito and Guayaquil. You can also come by bus from Ambato, Catamayo, Cuenca, Macará, Quito, Zamora, Riobamba, Gualaquiza and Guayaquil.