Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: we added the official 2025 entry fees and opening days, bus options from Cuenca, the new site museum, and corrected how the ruins were rediscovered.

Ingapirca at a glance (2026)

Author: APRILHOLLOWAY

Located at an altitude of over 3,000 meters in the picturesque Andes Mountains of Ecuador sits Ingapirca, the largest and best preserved archaeological site in Ecuador. Affectionately known as “The Machu Picchu of Ecuador”, it is also the most important Inca site in the country.  What makes this site particularly unique is that it stands as a lasting record of the joining of two cultures – the original Cañari people, a matriarchal society that worshipped the moon, and their Inca conquerors, a patriarchal society that worshipped the sun. Remarkably, the two peoples lived harmoniously, celebrating their commonalities and respecting their differences.

The Ancient Origins of Ingapirca

The site of Ingapirca (meaning ‘Inca Wall’ in Kichwa) had long been settled by the Cañari indigenous people, who named it Hatun Cañar. Excavations at the site unearthed a 1,200-year-old burial of an elite female with ten women surrounding her, who had drunk poison to be with their female leader in death.  They built a circular moon temple, as well as a rock calendar that recorded the lunar cycle.

Towards the end of the 15^th century, the Inca arrived led by Túpac Yupanqui. The intention was to quickly subjugate the Cañari people and amalgamate their territory. However, the Cañari fiercely defended their territory and were not so easily defeated. So the Inca proposed a political alliance. The Inca nobles married the Cañari princesses and a pact was negotiated in which it was agreed they would live together – the Inca would have a strategic base in the area, while the Cañari would have the protection of the Inca warriors.

The city was renamed and a new hybrid community was formed. Although the Inca were more numerous, they did not demand that the Cañari give up their autonomy. The Cañari continued to manage their own affairs and retained their individual customs, but adopted the language of the Inca. Together they celebrated common festivities, drinking large quantities of fermented beverages. Yet, separately they continued with their individual beliefs – the Cañari worshipping the moon and the Inca worshipping the sun.

The new city served as an important religious, political, military and administrative center for both the Inca and the Cañari.

Features of the New City

Ingapirca today displays an interesting combination of both Inca and Cañari architecture. The rough stone walls with mortar and rounded half-moon temple reflect the Cañari civilization, while the rectangular buildings and highly-precise walls built without mortar reflect the Inca culture.

The site is also composed of temples, chambers for priests, a ceremonial plaza, cobblestone streets, a solar observatory, a lunar calendar, storage rooms, ritual baths, dwellings, and a sophisticated advanced aqueduct system to distribute water to the entire compound.

By far the most impressive structure at Ingapirca is the Temple of the Sun, also known as El Castillo (The Castle), an elliptical-shaped building that aligns perfectly with the summer solstice. The stones were carefully chiseled and polished and positioned to fit together perfectly without mortar.

The End of Ingapirca

The growth of Ingapirca was short-lived because the Spanish arrived before it was even completed. The city was ransacked and its inhabitants were slaughtered. The conquistadors knocked down most of the buildings and took the stone to build churches. The site lay abandoned for centuries and became covered with vegetation.

Ingapirca had long been forgotten until a farmer discovered the ruins in his field. The Ecuadorian government began an extensive restoration project in the 1970s, and many of the original stones that had been stolen were returned to the site. The site is now open to the public and is run by the local Cañari people, who give guided tours for free, sharing the story of their past to all who come to visit.

By April Holloway

All images copyright Ancient Origins.

References

Atlas Obscura (2014) – Ingapirca. Available from: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ingapirca

Enciclopedia del Ecuador – Cañari Confederation. Available from: http://www.enciclopediadelecuador.com/temasOpt.php?Ind=354

Hyslop, John (19 February 2014). Inka Settlement Planning. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.

Lauderbaugh, George (22 February 2012). The History of Ecuador. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group.

With special thanks to the Cañari people, who shared their knowledge with us.

How do you visit Ingapirca from Cuenca or Quito?

Cuenca is the natural base. Take the 9:00 Transportes Cañar bus from the Terminal Terrestre, spend two hours at the ruins and the museum, walk the short trail to the Cara del Inca rock face, and catch the afternoon bus back. If the direct bus is full or not running, go to Cañar or El Tambo and switch to a local bus. Tours from Cuenca are also sold if you prefer not to deal with buses.

From Quito, Cuenca is about 9 to 10 hours by bus or a short domestic flight. Our favorite way is to break the trip in Alausí: ride the Devil’s Nose train, sleep at Community Hostel Alausí, and continue south the next morning with a stop at Ingapirca on the way to Cuenca.

Starting in Quito? Our free walking tour covers the colonial Old Town, and Museo Casa del Alabado nearby has pre-Columbian pieces that give great context before you see Ingapirca. See the Free Walking Tour or browse all our tours.

Related guides

• Devil’s Nose train in Alausí: the complete 2026 guide
• Ecuador itinerary for 7, 10 or 14 days
• Giant skeletons in Ecuador: what was claimed and what is documented
• Tayos Cave: what is documented and how to visit
• Altitude sickness in Ecuador: how to prevent soroche

Plan it with us

Want help fitting this into your Ecuador route? Drop by our office at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo in Quito, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, or email info@communitytravel.ec. Our local guides answer the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Het bericht Ingapirca Ruins: Cañari and Inca History and How to Visit (2026) verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.

Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: we added how to get to Vilcabamba via Loja, what later research found about the longevity claims, and what there is to do in the valley today.

Vilcabamba at a glance (2026)

Author: APRILHOLLOWAY

Tucked away in the Andean slopes of Ecuador, lies the quiet and picturesque village of Vilcabamba. Known to many as the ‘Valley of Longevity’, Vilcabamba has a reputation for being home to one of the highest concentrations of exceptionally old people, including numerous centenarians and a number of residents apparently reaching 140 years.

The name ‘Vilcabamba’ derives from the indigenous Quichua “huilco pamba”, meaning Sacred Valley. Originally a retreat for Inca rulers, it also became known as the ‘Playground of the Inca’. Inca royals travelled to the valley to renew and refresh their health, and it’s no wonder they chose Vilcabamba as their destination – the area is blessed with pristine water, pure air, rich soil, and a permanent Spring-like climate, where fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants thrive all year round.

The Quichuan word ‘huilco’ also refers to a sacred tree found in the valley. The Anadenanthera colubrine tree (known also as Willka, Vilca or Huilca), is considered to be a treasure in Ecuador and is deemed to be holy among the Quichuan. Its leaves are used to treat respiratory ailments and asthma and the tree is also valued for its ability to bring back pristine oxygen and block pollutants in the air, which many believe is a contributing factor to the residents’ good health and longevity.

Vilcabamba is overlooked by a mountain called El Mandango, ‘the Sleeping Inca’. Local  legend says that the spirit of the mountain protects the area from earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters.

The Sacred Valley was peacefully inhabited for centuries with very little contact from the wider world. However, in 1973, Dr Alexander Leaf of Harvard Medical School drew international attention to Vilcabamba following a cover story for National Geographic Magazine about the residents’ longevity. Two books further enhanced the town’s reputation. In 1975, Dr. David Davies, an English gerontologist, published ‘The Centenarians of the Andes’ about his research in Vilcabamba, and in 1976, popular author Grace Halsell published ‘Los Viejos: Secrets of Long Life from the Sacred Valley’.

Since then, news (and rumors) of the longevity and incredible health of ‘Los Viejos’ (The Old Ones) spread far and wide. Mixed in with scientific reports of good health and old age, were stories about the people of Vilcabamba being immune to death. It was said that the Grim Reaper passed by the valley but never entered it. Travel magazines began referring to Vilcabamba as ‘Shangri La’, a place where magic happens, ‘The Land of Eternal Youth’, ‘The Lost Gardens of Eden’ and the ‘Isle of Immunity’. Scientists and reporters began flocking to the quaint little village, featuring elderly locals on Ripley’s Believe It or Not and releasing reports in National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, and other major media outlets.

Old Age in Vilcabamba

When Dr. Alexander Leaf visited Vilcabamba in 1973, along with Dr. Harold Elrick of the University of California at San Diego, and a group from the University of Quito, they found that many of the residents reported their age at over 100 years old, and a few stated their age as being over 140 years. This was apparently confirmed by birth and baptismal records.

A census in Loja (the region in which Vilcabamba is located) the following year appeared to back up this information. Out of a total population of 819 people at the time, 9 people were older than 100 years, one man, Miguel Carpio, said he was 123, and another man, Jose David, reported his age as 142 years. This meant that Vilcabamba had a rate of 1,100 centenarians per 100,000 population, compared to only 3 per 100,000 in the U.S.

Good health in the Sacred Valley

The scientific team led by Dr Leaf found that the residents of Vilcambamba had very low cholesterol and there was a virtual absence of heart disease and chronic illness.  Later research showed that the retinas of the oldest residents were comparable to those of 45 year-olds.

In 1981, the Ecuadorian government hired medical journalist Dr. Morton Walker to study the residents. In his book, “The Secret to a Youthful Long Life”, Dr. Walker reported on the good health of the elderly villagers, which he attributed to the mineral rich water in Vilcabamba. The water flows into the valley from the Podocarpus National Forest, a protected Ecuadorian regional preserve which claims to have pre-Ice Age microorganisms and one of the world’s few remaining pristine rainforests.

British biochemist, Dr Richard Laurence Millington Synge, a Nobel Chemistry Prize winner and the man who discovered amino acids, stated that there are remarkable medicinal qualities to be found in the plant life in Vilcabamba, particularly with regards to their anti-oxidant properties.

More

• Did Ancient People Really Have Lifespans Longer Than 200 Years?
• The life expectancy myth, and why many ancient humans lived long healthy lives
• Immortality, the Elixir of Life and the Food of the Gods

Age Exaggeration?

While it is clear that the residents of Vilcabamba experience optimal health, a number of skeptics have come forward to challenge the incredible age claims of the residents.

According to The Bewildering History of the History of Longevity by Peter Laslett, “geographical variation in the incidence of long life is no doubt a reality but better general survival does not demonstrably raise the probability of extreme ages and systematic, skeptical analysis of these confidently asserted propositions has condemned them as entirely baseless.”

Indeed, a few inconsistencies started to appear in age reports following Dr Leaf’s initial research. For example, in 1971 he had met a man who said he was 122 years old. However, when Dr Leaf returned to Vilcabamba in 1974, the same man claimed to be 134 years. This tendency to exaggerate age was found to be linked to a cultural trend to treat the elderly with great honor – the older they were, the more respect they were given. Although this trend had been around for centuries, Dr Leaf theorized that the international publicity and rise in tourism, may have encouraged the villagers’ exaggerations.

Dr Leaf acquired the help of Dr. Richard Mazess of the University of Wisconsin Madison and Dr. Sylvia Forman of the University of California Berkeley to investigate the correct ages of Vilcabamba’s elderly population. This research revealed a problem with checking ages against birth and baptismal records – many family members carried the same first and last name. This meant that the birth date of an identically named uncle or father appeared to confirm the extreme longevity of a resident. The research team finally reached the conclusion that “Individual longevity in Vilcabamba is little, if any, different from that found throughout the rest of the world.”

While many still insist that Vilcabamba has a disproportionately high level of very old people, rumors of ‘Shangri La’ and the ‘Land of Eternal Youth’ can safely be dismissed. However, although the people of Vilcabamba may not live longer than the rest of the world, they certainly seem to live better. Their hard work at high altitude, combined with an excellent diet, good water, lots of sunshine, and few outside influences have kept generations of Vilcabambans happy and healthy. Vilcabamba today is a popular destination for visitors and tourists to seek an escape from the stresses of daily life, just as the Inca rulers had centuries before.

Featured image: View over Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Credit: Waldorf27 / Dreamstime

References:

Bland, A. (2013). Vilcabamba: Paradise Going Bad? Life in this legendary town in Ecuador’s Valley of Longevity may be too good—and too long—to be true. Smithsonian.com. Available from: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/vilcabamba-paradise-going-bad-21774567/?no-ist

Laslett, P. The Bewildering History of the History of Longevity. Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. Available from: http://www.demogr.mpg.de/books/odense/6/02.htm

Mazess, R.B. & Forman, S.H. (1979). Longevity and age exaggeration in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Journal of Gerontology. 34(1): 94-98.

Vilcabamba: the town of very old people – Hoaxes.org. Available from: http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/vilcabamba_the_town_of_very_old_people

Vilcabamba, Ecuador – Lonely Planet. Available from: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ecuador/the-southern-highlands/vilcabamba

By April Holloway

How do you get to Vilcabamba from Quito, and what is there to do?

Vilcabamba is far from Quito, so plan it as part of a trip through southern Ecuador. The fastest way is to fly Quito to Loja (the airport is at Catamayo, about 50 minutes flying time), then take a taxi or shuttle to Loja and a bus or shared taxi south to Vilcabamba, about an hour for $1–2. By bus, overnight services from Terminal Quitumbe reach Loja in about 12–14 hours for around $24. Many travelers continue from Vilcabamba across the border to northern Peru.

Once there, the town is about slowing down. The classic hike is Cerro Mandango, “the Sleeping Inca”, a steep ridge walk of a few hours with views over the valley; start early, carry water, and go with others. The valley roads are good for walking, cycling and horseback rides, and the southern side of Podocarpus National Park offers cloud forest trails. About the “Playground of the Inca” name: it is a local tradition, and no major Inca site has been found in the valley. For Inca stonework in Ecuador, visit Ingapirca.

Related guides

• Hiking in Ecuador
• The best waterfalls in Ecuador
• Ingapirca, Ecuador’s largest Inca site
• Ecuador itinerary for 7, 10 or 14 days
• How much a trip to Ecuador costs in 2026

Plan it with us

Questions before you go? Stop by our office at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo in Quito, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, or write to info@communitytravel.ec. Our local guides answer every message and will tell you honestly whether a tour or the bus makes more sense for your trip.

Frequently asked questions

Het bericht Vilcabamba, Ecuador: The Valley of Longevity, Myths and Facts verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.

Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: we kept the original article and its images, and added what is documented versus what is myth, the trade in fakes, recent museum decisions on display and repatriation, and where you can learn about Shuar culture respectfully in Ecuador.

Shrunken heads: what is documented and what is myth

Author: April Holloway

Headhunting is a practice that has been carried out by numerous cultures throughout the world. For instance, during the Qin dynasty in ancient China, it is claimed that soldiers collected the heads of their dead enemies, and tied them around their waists. This was intended to terrorise and demoralise their enemies. Despite the fact that headhunting was not too uncommon a practice, the shrinking of human heads is one that was unique to the Jivaro natives of Ecuador and Peru.

The process of making a shrunken head began by obtaining a human head in battle. A head was removed from the body by cutting the skin at the extreme base of the neck. An incision was made up the back of the neck in order to peel the flesh away from the skull. The entire skull was then removed and thrown away. The eyes were sewn shut, and the mouth closed by passing small, sharp palm pegs through the lips. Then, the skin was put into a boiling pot and left to simmer for about an hour and a half to two hours. The timing was crucial, as too short a time would result in the head not shrinking properly, while leaving the head too long in the pot would cause the hair on the head to fall out. When the head was removed from the pot, it would be reduced by two-thirds of its original size, and would have a rubbery texture.

After this, the head was dried so that it would continue to shrink. Small rocks heated by a fire were used to fill the cavity of the head. Ash was then rubbed into the skin, and the head hung over a fire to allow it to dry and harden. Once this was completed, the head was attached to a cord through the scalp and worn around the warrior’s neck. The process of producing the shrunken head ended with a celebration and a feast.

Head shrinking was undertaken to appease the spirits of slain ancestors. Jivaro warriors believed that the ritual of shrinking the head paralysed the spirit of their foe and prevented it from taking revenge, and also passed the victim’s strength onto the killer.

Why are museums removing and returning shrunken heads?

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European and American collectors paid for tsantsas, sometimes with guns, which fueled more killings and a flood of forgeries. Today many museums see the heads as human remains taken in a colonial context. Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum took its tsantsas off display in 2020 after finding that visitors described Shuar culture as “savage” or a “freakshow.” The museum is now working with Shuar and Achuar delegates through Universidad San Francisco de Quito. In October 2025, a Shuar delegation visited UK museums and asked for ceremonial tsantsas to be returned to Shuar territory (Museums Association). Earlier, researchers at Mercer University in Georgia authenticated a tsantsa with CT scans and handed it to Ecuador’s consulate in 2019 for repatriation.

Where can you learn about Shuar culture in Ecuador?

The best place is the Museo Pumapungo in Cuenca, a national museum whose ethnographic exhibition includes tsantsas presented in their Shuar context. Researchers have studied it as an example of intercultural education. Shuar territory is centered on Morona Santiago province, around Macas and Sucúa, where some Shuar communities run their own tourism projects. Visit through community-run programs, ask before taking photos and pay fairly for crafts.

Our Amazon trips go to Cuyabeno, in the north, where you meet a Siona community rather than the Shuar. It is still one of the best ways to spend time with an Amazonian community and learn from local guides.

Related guides

• Cuyabeno Amazon tour from Quito
• Cuyabeno vs Yasuní: which Amazon reserve should you visit?
• The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and ecotourism
• Tena, Ecuador: whitewater rafting guide
• Ingapirca and the Cañari and Inca past near Cuenca

Plan it with us

Our office is at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo, on the edge of Quito’s Old Town, inside Community Hostel. Drop by, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832 or write to info@communitytravel.ec, and one of our local guides will help you plan the Amazon part of your trip with current prices and departure dates.

Frequently asked questions

Het bericht Shrunken Heads of Ecuador: The Real History of Shuar Tsantsas verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.