The Amazon is 7 million km2. It contains 20% of the water supply on the planet. Eight countries make up the Amazon: Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela. Although Ecuador contains only 7% of the Amazon, this portion nevertheless represents 51% of it’s the ecuadorian territory. This exquisite ecosystem is intimately linked with the main economic activit of Ecuador: the exploitation of oil. According to the records of the Ministry of Environment, there are 33 ecological reserves in Ecuador. Each faces different types of exploitation and risk factors, such as hunting, fishing, fires and pollution. Within these potentially harmful scenarios, the indigenous communities try to survive.

Loja Province is over 2,000 meters over the see level and has a perfect climate. Its capital, also called Loja, is one of the oldest cities in the country and renowned as the “cradle of the arts, literature and music” of Ecuador. In this area, there are a variety of accommodations, but only one has been a finalist in the prices of London World Travel (Best Hotel and Spa Resort). Just 2 km from the parish of Vilcabamba (“Sacred Valley” in pre-Quechua language), watching the majestic Andes, lies the heavenly hotel-spa Madre Tierra.