The southern sierra is made up of Cañar, Loja and Azuay Provinces.
Some of the reasons for visiting these three provinces are the Inca ruins of Ingapirca, the valley of Vilcabamba and the historic district of the city of Cuenca.
The Southern Sierra of Ecuador is a favorite spot for birdwatchers, especially the Cajas and Podocarpus National Park.

Cañar Province

Cañar is rich in history. This region was inhabited by the Cañari culture from which it took its name. Cañar boasts the most important prehispanic monument of the country, the Ingapirca Inca Vestiges. Located about an hour and 45 minutes from Cuenca, these ruins are the most important architectural legacy of the Incas in Ecuador. Ingapirca means "Incas stone wall". The vast archeological complex includes a roofless fortification, courtyards, terraces, temples, houses and a “castle” possibly the “Temple to the Sun.” The entrance fee is 5 dollars.

A museum is now open at the site, with both archeological and ethnographic displays as well as a scale model of the ruins. Entrance fee is US$6. An excellent option is to stay overnight at the charming Posada Ingapirca.

Loja Province
Both the province and its capital city (Loja city) owe their name to the Spaniard Alonso de Mercadillo, who founded the city in 1548 at the “Cuxibamba” valley. “Cuxibamba” is the indigenous name of the valley.
Loja’s indigenous population maintains ancestral traditions and customs. The city of Loja has an important cultural community. This city nestles musicians, poets and other writers. Loja had a large affluence of scientists during the XVII – XIX century, and so it appears in old European maps as “Nambixa”.
Surrounded by rivers that flow to the Amazonia or the Pacific Ocean, one finds several green valleys with warm, fresh and dry weather (64 Fahrenheit and higher). Such is the case of the Vilcabamba. Malacatos, Quinara and Catacocha Valleys.

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