Nestled into a fertile green valley in Ecuador's 'Deep South', Vilcabamba is famous for the longevity of its inhabitants: its main thoroughfare is called the Avenue of Eternal Youth. Vilcabamba is also one of those places that has achieved a reputation almost entirely by word of mouth. Talk among young backpackers and aging hippies is about the hallucinogenic juice of the San Pedro cactus, which once grew abundantly in the area. Following various incidents however [including one gringo walking naked across the main square], the local people and government have since all-but eradicated the plant. Certainly, you'll no longer find it for sale in the local shops. To the average traveler, the reason for the town's enduring popularity resides in its beauty, relaxed and friendly feel, and inexpensive, welcoming establishments.

A popular tambo [the Inca word for a road-side inn or storehouse] on the gringo trail, the town gets more touristy every year, but it only takes a bit of imagination to strike out into the lovely countryside. Similar to Banos, though smaller and without the hot springs, Vilcabamba makes a great base from which to explore the surrounding hills, valleys and rivers by foot or on horseback, meet local people and fellow travelers, or simply pamper yourself after some hard days on the road.

Background. One morning I sat down for breakfast on the open terrace overlooking the valley with Jaime Mendoza, co-owner of Madre Tierra. He spoke in glowing terms of the charms and healthfulness of Vilcabamba and the longevity of its inhabitants. The altitude of about 1,500 m [5,000 ft] creates the perfect pressure for your health, in particular your heart, he explained, and the year-round temperature of between 17°C [63°F] minimum and 26°C [79?F] maximum is ideal. Furthermore, the water, which comes from the watershed in ancient forests in the nearby Podocarpus National Park, is laced with gelatins that destroy toxins in your body.

On average only one person in 1,470,000 lives to be a hundred, Jaime explained, but a study in Vilcabamba showed that out of a population of 3,000, as many as 64 people were proved to be over 100 years old. When I pointed out that some studies disputed such figures, he dismissed them with a waive of his hand. Hard evidence is lacking, but there certainly seems to be many a sprightly sextagenarian or octagenarian around town. Whatever the truth about the longevity of the inhabitants of Vilcabamba, it is certainly a very pleasant place to be. Many are the stories of people who come here for a few days and stay for years. The town's name stems from the wilca or vilca tree, similar to the acacia. It was regarded as sacred by the Incas and other pre-Colombian peoples, and though now increasingly rare, it's the reason the town is known as the 'sacred valley.'

|Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton|||

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