Loja district, Ecuador

Places to visit near Loja

Loja is a city in Loja district, Ecuador, home to about 117,796 people. Within 50 km by road there are 133 places to visit — 100 hill stations & viewpoints, 21 waterfalls, 6 forts & heritage and 1 caves. The must-see places are Parque Nacional Podocarpus (48 km), Cerro de Arcos (70 km) and Santa Ana La Florida (90 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Loja on the map

Loja, Ecuador
Loja, Loja district, Ecuador. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Loja at a glance

Location
Loja district, Ecuador
Population
about 117,796
Coordinates
3.9931° S, 79.2042° W
Places within 50 km
133 (1 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; July to January, best August to November right after rains for waterfalls; year-round for caves

Top places to visit near Loja

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Loja: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Loja

Things to see near Loja, by type

Hill stations & viewpoints near Loja

198 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Loja. The closest is Cerro La Isla (7 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

All hill stations & viewpoints in Ecuador →

Waterfalls near Loja

42 waterfalls within 100 km of Loja. The closest is Cascada Jipiro Alto (8 km). Best time: july to january, best august to november right after rains.

All waterfalls in Ecuador →

Forts & heritage near Loja

10 forts & heritage within 100 km of Loja. The closest is Alonso de Mercadillo (1 km). Best time: october to february.

All forts & heritage in Ecuador →

Caves near Loja

8 caves within 100 km of Loja. The closest is Cuevas del Inca (50 km). Best time: year-round.

All caves in Ecuador →

Beaches & coast near Loja

5 beaches & coast within 100 km of Loja. The closest is Playas Zumbi (62 km). Best time: october to march.

All beaches & coast in Ecuador →

Museums near Loja

4 museums within 100 km of Loja. The closest is Museo de la cultura lojana (1 km). Best time: year-round.

All museums in Ecuador →

A one-day trip from Loja

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 12 km on the road.

  1. Start in Loja
  2. 1 km La puerta de la ciudad · heritage site, Loja
  3. 1 km Alonso de Mercadillo · heritage site, Loja
  4. 1 km Bernardo Valdivieso · heritage site, Loja
  5. 1 km Museo de la cultura lojana · museum, Loja
  6. 4 km Alejandro Carrión Aguirre · heritage site, Loja
  7. 4 km Back to Loja

Plan a longer trip from Loja — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

How to reach Loja

    All places near Loja by distance

    Within 15 km of Loja

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type

    Places near Loja by type
    TypePlacesNearest
    Hill stations & viewpoints198Cerro La Isla (7 km)
    Waterfalls42Cascada Jipiro Alto (8 km)
    Forts & heritage10Alonso de Mercadillo (1 km)
    Caves8Cuevas del Inca (50 km)
    Beaches & coast5Playas Zumbi (62 km)
    Museums4Museo de la cultura lojana (1 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens3El bosque protector Corazón de Oro (25 km)
    Churches1Santuario Católico Nacional Nuestra Señora de El Cisne - Basílica de El Cisne (37 km)

    Loja: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Loja?

    Alonso de Mercadillo (heritage site, about 1 km), La puerta de la ciudad (heritage site, about 1 km), Bernardo Valdivieso (heritage site, about 1 km), Museo de la cultura lojana (museum, about 1 km), Alejandro Carrión Aguirre (heritage site, about 4 km), Cerro La Isla (viewpoint, about 7 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Loja?

    133 places on Spotwander: 100 hill stations & viewpoints, 21 waterfalls, 6 forts & heritage, 1 cave, 2 museums.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Loja?

    Cerro La Isla, about 7 km by road; Cerro S/N (8 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest waterfall to Loja?

    Cascada Jipiro Alto, about 8 km by road; Namanda (10 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest fort to Loja?

    Alonso de Mercadillo, about 1 km by road; La puerta de la ciudad (0 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Loja?

    Start in Loja, visit La puerta de la ciudad, then Alonso de Mercadillo, then Bernardo Valdivieso, then Museo de la cultura lojana, then Alejandro Carrión Aguirre, and drive back — about 12 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Loja?

    October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; July to January, best August to November right after rains for waterfalls; year-round for caves.

    Towns near Loja

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Loja’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Loja on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.