Loja's main museum occupies a handsome building in the city centre and covers the archaeology and history of the southern Ecuador region — pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial art and artefacts, and exhibits on the indigenous Saraguro and Shuar peoples. The collection is modest by capital-city standards but well-presented and genuinely informative about a part of Ecuador that most visitors rush through.
The Saraguro exhibit is particularly interesting. The Saraguro are an indigenous group who settled this high valley and have maintained a distinct culture and traditional dress — their distinctive black clothing is still worn by many community members. The museum gives context that helps make sense of what you will see on the streets and in the market.