Ins and outs
Getting there
The city can be reached by air from Quito or Guayaquil to Catamayo (also known as La Toma), which is 35 km away by paved road. Shared taxis between the airport and Loja charge US$4-5 per person; to hire a taxi is US$15-20; note that taxis from the airport to Loja charge more than those originating in Loja. Taxi drivers going to the airport are often found outside the TAME office in Loja, or arrange the day before (eg with Sr Jaime González, T07-256 3714) and they will pick you up at your hotel. The well-organized Terminal Terrestre, at Avenida Gran Colombia e Isidro Ayora, is to the north of the centre. At the terminal are luggage storage, a bus information desk, shops, restaurants, internet and telephone office. There are frequent city buses to the centre; a taxi costs US$1.
Tourist information
(José Antonio Eguiguren y Bolívar, Parque Central, T07-258 1251, ext 220, http://www.municipiodeloja.gov.ec, Mon-Fri 0800-1300, 1500-1800, Sat 0900-1300) provides local and regional information and maps. The staff are helpful and speak some English. The Ministerio de Turismo (Bolívar 12-39 entre Mercadillo y Lourdes, p 3, Parque San Sebastián, T07-257 2964, http://www.surecuadorturismo.gov.ec, Mon-Fri 0830-1330, 1430-1730) has information and pamphlets for all of Ecuador, helpful, Spanish only.
Loja
Air
Aeropuerto Camilo Ponce Enríquez at Catamayo (also called La Toma, 1 hr from Loja) is served by TAME, with 2-3 daily flights to Quito, US$82 and 3 weekly to Guayaquil, US$72. Flights are sometimes cancelled due to strong winds or fog.
Airline offices
TAME, 24 de Mayo y Emiliano Ortega, T07-257 0248.
Bus
Note that Trans Loja has two types of service, regular and ejecutivo, for Quito and Guayaquil. Ejecutivos are somewhat nicer buses, cost more, take less time, do not stop to pick up passengers and travel overnight.
To Catamayo (for the airport) every 30 mins 0600-2000, US$1, 1 hr, taxi from the Catamayo bus station to the airport US$1; note that none of the buses arrive in Catamayo early enough to connect with the early morning flight to Quito.
There are 3 different routes from Loja to Machala on the coast, each with its own bus service. They are, from north to south: via Piñas, for Zaruma (page) unpaved and rough but very scenic; via Balsas, undergoing extensive repairs in 2009 and also scenic; and via Alamor, for Puyango petrified forest (page).
To Vilcabamba, Vilcabambaturis vans and minibuses from the Terminal Terrestre in Loja, every 15-30 mins from 0545 to 2115, US$1, 1 hr; also several bus companies; and taxirutas (shared taxis) from José María Peña y Venezuela, 0600-2000, US$1.20, 45 mins.
To Zumba, via Vilcabamba, US$7.50, 6-7 hrs, a rough but beautiful ride, worth doing in daylight, prone to landslides with heavy rain and undergoing improvements in 2009, Sur Oriente, 0500, 1400, 1730, 2130; Unión Cariamanga, 0900, 1200, 1600, 2330; Unión Yantzatza, 1045, 2145; or Nambija, 2400 and 1230.
To Catacocha, US$2.25, 2½ hrs; to Gonzanamá, US$2.20, 2½ hrs; to Cariamanga, US$3, 2¾ hrs; to Amaluza, US$5, 6 hrs; to Sozoranga, US$4.50, 4½ hrs; to Celica, US$5, 4 hrs; to Alamor, US$6, 6 hrs; to Zapotillo, US$8, 8 hrs; to Macará, frequent service with Transportes Loja and Unión Cariamanga, US$6, 5hrs; to Zamora, 12 daily with Unión Yantzaza, US$2.40, 2 hrs, continuing to Gualaquiza, US$6, 5¼ hrs.
International
To Piura (Peru), via Macará, Loja Internacional has good service departing 0700, 1300, and 2300 daily, US$8, 8 hrs including border formalities. Return from Piura at 0900, 1300, 2100; Piura terminal at Av Sánchez Cerro 1480 y Av Gulman, T073-305446. In Vilcabamba, tickets for Loja to Piura can usually be purchased at the Vilcabambaturis office at the bus station. Unión Cariamanga departs Loja for Piura at 2400 via Catacocha and 0600 via Cariamanga, US$8, 8 hrs. Return from Piura at 1330 via Cariamanga and 2000 via Catacocha; office in Piura at Sánchez Cerro (cuadra 18) y Av Vice, T073-9691 76435.
Car hire
Avis, Av Isidro Ayora opposite the Terminal Terrestre, at Hotel Quo Vadis, T07-258 1729,
http://www.avis.com.ec. Bombuscaro, in hotel of the same name, T07-257 7021,
http://www.bombuscaro.com.ec.
more Loja photos
Loja videos
