Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Valley of Longevity in Ecuador's southern highlands
Dear Reader,
The mountains crouch around this little green valley, as it basks in the warmth of the sun. Mandango, a rock formation sacred to the Inca, gazes protectively over the landscape. A rippling river winds its way through a patchwork of small fields, forests and farms. The clean mountain air that fills your lungs leaves you feeling energetic, refreshed, and reinvigorated.
Tucked into this valley is the village of Vilcabamba, a popular stop on the Inca Trail. Starting in the 1960s, many of the tourists traveling the Inca Trail settled in Vilcabamba, drawn by its gorgeous scenery and mystical atmosphere. Today, the village has one of the highest expat concentrations in Ecuador, and some unexpected amenities in a village this size...
And just outside the village, you'll find a community that offers relaxed, luxury living...where you can enjoy this dramatic setting...from only $43,000.
Welcome to Shangri-La
In Ecuador's southern highlands, Vilcabamba lies at 1500 meters (5000 feet) above sea level. The weather here is perfect. Not too hot...not too cold...not too dry...not too wet. Homes don't need heating or air conditioning; just throw open your windows and let the fresh air in...
This environment offers a year-round growing season. You can pick your own papayas and mangoes straight from the tree for a breakfast smoothie or a quick snack. Food grows abundantly in the valley...berries, oranges, figs, almonds, and avocados.
Vilcabamba lies in the Valley of Longevity. Nobody's quite sure why so many locals seem to live longer (and healthier) here. Various studies over the years attributed it to the climate...the mineral-rich water...the pure air...clean outdoor living... the organically-grown local produce...or a combination of all these factors. Whatever...it works...
You can live well, for $1000 a month, in Vilcabamba. It's not just the low cost of the locally-produced food. Help around the home costs less...building your own high-end home runs around $60 a square foot...and you can source beautiful hand-made wood furniture for less than the price of mass-produced items back home...
Vilcabamba, showing the central plaza and pastel-colored colonial buildings
The village of Vilcabamba is clean, with cobblestone streets and pastel-colored colonial buildings. The main plaza is lush, filled with trees and shrubs, all well-tended. You can dine in good restaurants, sip coffee at the outdoor cafes, enjoy a movie at one of the film nights, or pamper yourself with spa treatments. If you're feeling energetic, you can bicycle, hike or horse-ride the many trails in the valley.
What you won't find in Vilcabamba tells you more about the village: shopping malls, fast food chains, traffic lights, and stop signs...
Close by, Podocarpus National Forest covers more than 360,000 acres, stretching from the valley all the way to Peru. It's a biosphere reserve, with mountains, lakes, waterfalls, grasslands, tropical rain forest and cloud forest. Birdwatchers can track more than 500 bird species ...and you can see tapirs, jaguars, giant armadillos and even spectacled bears within the park boundaries.
No wonder this valley is dubbed Shangri-La...
Welcome to the Hacienda
Just over three miles outside Vilcabamba village, Hacienda San Joaquin borders the banks of the Vilcabamba River. Andean peaks surround the Hacienda on three sides. On the fourth side is the refreshing Vilcabamba River, tumbling its way from the cloud forest in Podocarpus to the Pacific Ocean.
The Hacienda starts where a small village road ends. There's no through traffic. Home sites make up half of the 663 acres. The rest of the land is riding trails and hiking paths, in some of the most dramatic mountains, canyons, and valleys you'll ever see.
Stone walls frame the entranceway, and meticulous landscaping complements the breathtaking natural scenery.
The centerpiece of Hacienda San Joaquin is its world-class equestrian center. This includes an organic ranch store and outdoor café, two stables (with a total of 40 stalls), a grooming area and two corrals.
Visitors often remark on the peacefulness and tranquility of the Hacienda. It's a private oasis in this sacred valley...
Welcome Home
Unsurprisingly, since we first introduced you to Hacienda San Joaquin in 2007, 56 out of the 69 lots available in the first phase have sold. Thirty-three homes have been built, and another four are under construction. An international community has formed in the Hacienda...eager to preserve the Hacienda's unique appeal. Twenty-two residents already live here.
Low construction and maintenance costs means landscaped gardens and pools are affordable
The lots remaining range in size from a third of an acre to 3.8 acres, and pricing goes from $43,000 to $175,000. Properties come with access to electricity, high-speed internet, and the Hacienda's own fresh water supply.
As I mentioned earlier, high-end construction costs about $60 a square foot. You can build a 2000 square-foot home for $120,000. So your lot plus home...with nice tile finishes, and hardwood cabinetry...could come in as low as $163,000, if you choose the lowest-priced lot.
The luxurious interiors of some of the homes in Hacienda San Joaquin
Best of all, the Hacienda offers a menu of additional services that include home design and construction, interior design and turn-key furnishing, and home and grounds maintenance, to make sure that building your dream home is smooth and hassle-free...
Welcome to Your New Life
If you're looking for a comfortable but affordable highland retreat, Vilcabamba (and the Hacienda) fits the bill. But don't take our word for it: Come and see for yourself. Hacienda San Joaquin's developer and architect, Joe Simonetta, will help with your in-country travel arrangements, including hotels, and airport pick-up. Contact Joe here to find out more about the available lots, and to start planning your trip to Vilcabamba.
Joe searched the world for twenty years, looking for his Shangri-La. When he visited Hacienda San Joaquin, he knew within fifteen minutes he had found the place he was looking for. Come and visit...and find out for yourself what makes the Hacienda so special.
Margaret Summerfield
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