Frequently Asked Questions about Loja, Ecuador

Expat retirees from the U.S. and Canada often have many questions about the city of Loja, Ecuador. Here is a list of common questions along with links to the answers.

Q:  Is Loja a small town or a big city?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Is Loja just like Cuenca, only smaller, warmer and cheaper?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Does Loja have mild spring-like weather that stays the same all year long?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Is it really true that all taxi fares in the city of Loja cost only $1?

A:  Click here for answer or to see a nice picture of a taxi.

Q:  Does Loja, Ecuador have an expat community?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Are Ecuadorians from Loja friendly and accepting of expats?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Is it easy to find English speakers in Loja?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Why do people on English-speaking social media sites insist that the city of Loja is ugly, grey and boring?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Will I learn Spanish quickly if I move to a place like Loja?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  I've read that the city of Loja is safe at all hours of the day and night.  Is it really true?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Is it true that Loja has a rainy season and a dry season?

A:  See answer here.


Q:  Can I support myself by teaching English in Loja?

A:  See answer here.

Read about Diana's first three years in Ecuador. (Note, the book has many insights about Ecuadorian culture and specifically life in Loja - you can find it on Amazon by clicking here.) 

Click here to visit the All About Loja page, including pictures.

Mosquitos in Loja?

Q:  Does Loja have mosquitoes?

A:  People who visit the city of Loja for a few days or weeks or even a whole year usually will never see or feel a mosquito in the city. 

Generally speaking, the city of Loja does not have mosquitoes except for the furthest north section of the city near the river. (This is a place that very few tourists ever see since most who come to Loja do not stray far from downtown, and even most of the people who are from Loja have never seen this part of the city as they would have little reason to go there unless they lived there.)  However, there can be mosquitoes in the city in places near standing water.  It seems that Loja gets too cold at night for mosquitoes to thrive, but if water is pooling somewhere near your home or work place, you may see a mosquito from time to time.  

The first year I lived in Loja, I saw 3 mosquitoes during that entire 12-month cycle (not counting trips south to Vilcabamba which has tons of mosquitoes...) and who knows, maybe it was just ONE mosquito that I happened to see three times! The second year I lived in Loja there were mosquitoes in my house periodically and sometimes even 5 or 6 at one time!!  Since then we do get periods of having a few of the little critters flying about.  There must be standing water somewhere on the property of the house we are renting or on our neighbor's property.  However, we still go for months at a time without seeing any mosquitoes.

The towns and villages south and east of Loja are at lower elevation and do have issues with biting bugs (Malacatos, Vilcabamba, Zamora...)  Catamayo to the west is also much warmer than the city of Loja but because it is so dry all year long it does not seem to have the mosquito issues that these other lower elevation areas have.



Click here to see a list of Misconceptions about Loja, Ecuador.

Click here to visit the All About Loja page, including pictures.