THE BEST CITY OF ECUADOR

Loja is the best city for me, because all my family come from of there, is small city but it is beautiful.

It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and El Oro, and with Peru in the south. Loja holds a rich tradition in the arts, and for this reason is known as the Music Capital of Ecuador. The city is home to two major universities.

There are numerous small music and salsa clubs, and it is not uncommon to hear Lojanos singing as they go about their day. On Sundays, the local police band performs in the Plaza de Independencia outside of San Sebastian Church.
The city is full of public artworks, including massive painted tile murals, frescoes, and statuary. Of particular note are the frescoes of Bolívar and Sucre that greet visitors as they pass through the gates of the city.

Puerta de la Ciudad The gate is on Av. Gran Colombia, and houses four galleries which show contemporary Lojano artwork, and a cafeteria and gift shop. A stunning view of the city is found by climbing the clock tower. Loja contains a number of historic churches. Beginning at the Puerta de la Ciudad, one of the first thing a tourist will notice is a large orange stripe painted on the sidewalk.

Parks and recreation
There are three parks of note inside the city, and a botanical garden just outside the city limits.

Jipiro
In the north of the city, Jipiro Park covers more than 10 hectares and is notable for its scale reproductions of historic and cultural buildings. The park boasts a pagoda, mosque, St. Basil's cathedral, a medieval castle, and many more, as well as a lake for paddle-boating with an island aviary.