Loja is an attractive retirement spot, A City that will Surprise You!

This is a city of art and culture. Popularly known as “ “The Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador” since they also have a strong tradition of art and literature.

With a population approaching a quarter of a million, Loja has much of the infrastructure of a city, but is still small enough to maintain that “small town feel” and sense of community that many find to be so important.

Loja is an attractive retirement spot for those who don’t require a strong expat presence, have some Spanish language skills, and who are looking to live in a mountain town that is not too large, but still provides for an easy lifestyle. There are expats living in Loja, but it is a small community, less than two dozen, and they are scattered around town—there is no “gringolandia”.

This is a safe city, and the temperate climate makes it a walkable one too. The local bus system and low-cost cabs make Loja an easy place to live without the expense of a car. Surrounded by farms and ranches, Loja also boasts several mercados where fresh produce and meats can be found at low prices.

There are many things to see and do in Loja, and plenty to keep you busy no matter what your lifestyle. As you would expect in “The Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador,” there are a plethora of museums and venues for dance and musical performances. You can dress up and enjoy a performance at the new and elegant Teatro Nacional Benjamin Carrion Mora, but there are also artists performing daily on one or more of the many beautiful squares in town. Perhaps the most iconic structure in Loja, the City Gates, also houses works of art on a rotating basis. With the restaurant now open for lunch and dinner, you can take in the art and dine with terrific views of the city.

For those interested in the great outdoors, Loja has many places to stretch your legs and enjoy both architecture and nature. Downtown, there is of course the central square with the main Cathedral that hosts the statue of the Virgin de Cisne for part of the year, as well as squares like San Francisco, San Sebastian, Santo Domingo, and more to satisfy the urban explorer. There are tree-lined walkways along the rivers, and several parks, the most popular of which are the long and narrow Parque Lineal, the large Parque de Colinas del Pucara, and the unique Parque Jipiro.

Finally, until a few days ago my knowledge of coffee was as follows: buy a bag at the store once in a while and drink a couple of cups to get me going each day. I’ve just returned from an extremely interesting tour, organized by the owner of a local coffee shop here in Loja, Ecuador, with a new-found appreciation for my morning beverage.

Ecuadorian coffee is of excellent quality and often organic, but you won’t find it at your grocer or Starbuck’s. Production is nowhere near the level of, say, Colombia or Costa Rica. After observing the hard work of artisanal growers and processors I’ll never complain about the price of coffee again!