Espíritu de las Haciendas

Ecuador mountain trails

Hacienda "La Alegría" is a family-run organic farm and the hospitality of the Espinosa household is remarked upon by visors who return year after year. You will be welcomed with a roaring log fire in the sitting room, and in your bedroom when the nights are cold.

La Alegria can accommodate up to 24 people both in the farmhouse and a recently completed extension. The extension has been tastefully restored with solid cypress floors and beams and modern en-suite bathrooms with plenty of hot water and powerful showers. We have split-level family rooms which sleep five in comfort.

Paty and her staff provide full board if required. All meals are tailored for hungry travellers, riders and hikers, and combine delicious Ecuadorian and international cuisine. Our visitors book contains many compliments to the chef at La Alegria! Vegetarian / other special dietary options on request.

All prices include taxes and are per person based on double occupancy. Please phone for details of single supplement and special rates for families. We speak good English. Prices are quoted in US dollars and Euros and may be subject to change without notice owing to exchange rate fluctuations.

Hacienda La Alegría is located just south of Quito, the capital of Ecuador), about an hour's drive. We are ideally situated on the lower slopes of Volcan Corazon (4788m) in the heart of the "Avenue of the Volcanoes", a spectacular valley dividing the eastern and western ranges of the Andes. From the garden of the hacienda you can enjoy breathtaking views across the valley to the extinct volcano's of Ruminahui (4712m), Pasochoa (4250m), Atacazo (4463m), and in the distance the mighty cone of Cotopaxi, at 5897m the highest active volcano in the world

VOLCANO RIDE and horse Round-up

RIDE THROUGH VOLCANOES, VALLEYS, FORESTS, AND PRE-INCA SITES WITH COMFORTABLE OVERNIGHTS IN HIGHLAND “HACIENDAS”

Tambo to Tambo (Quechua word meaning station)                                       

Transfer from airport to the Sangolqui valley in the southern outskirts of Quito. Your stop is in the first highland hacienda of the circuit: Hacienda La Carriona. A forty minute drive, from the busy city to a vast green valley surrounded by mountain peaks from the Andean ranges, will take you to this luxury hotel and home of its host Fernando Becdach. Your suite, decorated comfortably to savour a family environment of the historical haciendas in the highlands also offers a modern bathroom with all necessary utilities. Immaculate garden lined with Jacaranda trees invite the guest to wonder around and discover peace and harmony away from the hustle and bustle of Quito. Its location, on the outskirts of Quito, is ideal for quick access to Quito’s historical centre, birth place of the first and most important colonial art school in South America. You are perfectly well situated at La Carriona to begin your ride in the central highlands through which you will be riding for the remainder of the circuit. Upon your arrival, you will be offered a guided tour in the colonial heart of Quito, or you may choose to spend the rest of the day relaxing by the heated pool, in the sauna, or simply enjoying the beauty of the hacienda and its history.

See sample itinerary and prices