Haciendas of the Andes

Hacienda La Cienega

The centuries-old hacienda of La Cienaga, a highland retreat in a kingdom that once stretched from Quito to Ambato, is owned by the Lasso family. Today, the grand mansion has been converted into a beautiful hotel, an Andean sanctuary close to the Cotopaxi Volcano and National Park.

Sitting in carefully-tended grounds, amid fountains and cobbles, La Cienaga is great time-machine, its furniture and décor redolent with its colonial past. Its interior courtyard brims with bright colourful flowers, framed by its delightful little white chapel, with its carved door and stucco finery.

Hacienda San Agustin de Callo

The beautiful and little known Hacienda San Agustin del Callo lies in the lower skirts of the great Cotopaxi, close to the twin peaks of the Illnizas. It offers the traveller of today a unique doorway into Ecuador's past. The hacienda was formerly an important palace or temple, constructed for Tupac Yupanqui (Inca Emperor) in the 15th century.

The main courtyard of the hacienda is a stunning blend of styles: it brings together Incan (15th), Colonial (16th) and Republican (19th) traditions, all within a handsome square. The house has served as an Incan Fort, an Augustinian Convent, a temporary home to The French Geodesic Mission - whose scientific results helped determine the form of the planet - as well as the family home of one the country's most prestigious families. Famous visitors have numbered Alexander Von Humboldt, German scientist and forefather of modern geography, as well as the illustrious English mountaineer Edward Whymper, the first man to summit Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest volcano. Today, the hacienda ranks among the most attractive and intriguing in the country. One dines on excellent Ecuadorian dishes in an ornate dining room surrounded on all sides by Incan walls holed with their distinctive trapezoidal niches.

The "Inti Raymi" festival in June is highlight of the hacienda's calendar, and well worth catching if you're in Ecuador at the time.

Hacienda Guachala - the oldest hacienda in Ecuador

Guachala is Located on the Equatorial line, just outside of Cayambe one hour away from Quito and twenty minutes away from Otavalo. Nearby are places like the Pucarás ruins, the Cayambe refuge, the Oyacachi hot springs and others. You can enjoy a nice horse-back ride or a relaxing walk in the hacienda grounds and surrounding highlands. The oldest construction dates from 1580. Some of the historic areas of the Hacienda Guachalá include two churches, the colonial "patio", the old mill and others. There is a working farm with the following animals: horses, dogs, alpacas, llamas, geese, sheep, pigs, and a mule. Learn about the ecological Agapanthus flower plantation.

Hacienda Chillo Jijon

Ever since its construction around 1730 as the manor house of a large estate only a few kilometers away from the colonial city of Quito, Hacienda Chillo-Jijón has always belonged to the same family.  Built by the Marquees of Miraflores and enlarged a century later by the Marquees of San José, the Hacienda has seen a lot of the country's history happen amongst its walls. For over 120 years, until 1975, the Hacienda was also home to one of the largest textile mills in the Andes. Today the Hacienda warmly greets a limited number of special guests who seek unique properties and the most personal attention. Hacienda Chillo-Jijón is the preferred lodging choice to visit Colonial Quito and its vicinity, with its baroque churches and its museums, the nearby Indian Markets and, in general, the Andean region.

Hacienda La Carriona

Hacienda "La Carriona"  is located in the beautiful Valley of Los Chillos, a brief drive south down the highway from Quito.   Constructed as an hacienda more than two-hundred years ago, "La Carriona"  stands as a monument to Ecuador's colonial history.   Its stone courtyard and garden hint of the exuberant Spanish Colonial lifestyle, while its  name reminds us that it once belonged to the renowned Carrión family, La Carriona's thick adobe walls have witnessed significant events in Ecuador's history. In the mid 1800s, the house belonged to the  distinguished family, Fernández  Salvador.  In 1830, the patriarch of this family, Don José Fernández Salvador , was appointed president of the first Constitutional Assembly.  This Assembly laid the foundation for both the Ecuadorian constitution and nation.

Today, the hacienda accommodates guests amidst tranquil surroundings.  Located on the outskirts of the capital, "La Carriona"  is a great  option for those looking for easy access to Quito and the tourist attractions of the Ecuadorian Sierra.  The Hostería is minutes away from  the protected forest of the Pasochoa.  It  offers easy access to the Cotopaxi National Park and the southern part of the country. If you are interested in visiting  Ecuador's  highlands, "La Carriona" should be a part of your travel plans.

Hacienda La Alegria

is a family-run organic farm in the heart of Ecuador's "Avenue of the Volcanoes". We are situated one hour south of the historic colonial city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

We offer traditional hospitality with a touch of luxury at our beautiful hacienda. We cater for independent travellers and larger groups and can tailor a package for most requirements. Above all, at La Alegria we specialise in horseback vacations amid the majesty of the high Andes of the Equator.