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Photo: Arabsalam · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Iglesia y plaza de San Francisco

One of Loja’s oldest churches, facing the square with the monument to Alonso de Mercadillo, the city’s founder.

San Francisco church was built in 1548 and rebuilt in 1851. The Franciscan convent gives the square its name.

The square holds the monument to Alonso de Mercadillo, the Spanish captain who founded the city. It is a natural stop on a walk between the City Gate and the Central Park.

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Loja’s most iconic monument: a castle over the Malacatos river that serves as a museum, art gallery and viewpoint.

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Plaza de la Independencia

San Sebastián square, where Loja gathered on 18 November 1820: colonial houses and a 32-metre clock tower.

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Calle Lourdes

The city’s most picturesque street, with colourful houses and old street lamps: handicrafts and local coffee.

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