The easiest way to come to Vilcabamba is to travel to Quito first.  Twice daily jets fly from Quito to Loja, our local city, on Tame airlines, which is located in the Nacional terminal in Quito, just a few steps away from international arrivals.  Check www.tame.com.ec for schedules and to buy your domestic tickets.  Flights can fill up, so we advise you to make your reservations and to buy your tickets in advance.  There are no penalties for changing the time of travel. If you have problems with that, you can purchase your domestic tickets through the U.S. travel agent Gabriela Proaño (gaby@gttours.com) with a nominal surcharge.  You can also connect through Guayaquil, although the flights from there to Loja are less frequent.

You will be given a 90-day visa upon entry into Ecuador, no documents besides a passport are required.  Once you've made your reservations, write us at info@montesuenos.org with your schedule and we'll send out a taxi to pick you up at the Loja airport for the 90-minute scenic ride to Vilcabamba and Montesueños.  If you're on the early morning flight, you should stop in town for breakfast before coming up here noonish.  Upon arrival in Loja, the taxi driver will hold up a Montesueños sign at baggage claim, and the ride costs $35 including the tip.

Taxis from Vilcabamba to Montesueños (to the drivers, it's known as "casa de Brian" in San Jose) cost $3 for the two mile, ten-minute ride up the hill.

Don't forget to bring a sweater and a lightweight rain jacket or windbreaker.  The climate here is springlike and can be cool and rainy (around 60F in the evening and early morning ) between January and May; also the weather in Quito is even cooler because of its higher altitude.  We here are at about 1700 meters (5500 feet) and Quito is 2900 meters (9200 feet).