Ecuador Hotels

Hacienda Zuleta is only two hours north of Quito. It offers a variety of activities and accommodation for its guests. Activities include mountain bikes and horse-drawn carriages for trips around the Hacienda to observe milking, the agriculture, and mountain views. Horseback riding, however, is Zuleta's specialty. Guests can also visit the Condor Huasi Project that works for the rehabilitation of the majestic Andean Condor.

The Hacienda offers 15 wonderfully decorated rooms and antique gardens along with cozy living and reading rooms that provide a peaceful atmosphere. Delicious home cooking and regional cuisine are available daily. These meals are prepared with organic vegetables, trout and dairy products produced on the Hacienda.

Hacienda Zuleta invites you to share life at an authentic Hacienda in the Andes of Ecuador and get to know the tranquil life of the community.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

Zuleta's hospitality retains an intimacy, warmth and sincerity reminiscent of a century past. Additionally, Zuleta offers a privacy rarely achieved in the 21st century. At Zuleta you are a guest of the family and you are welcomed as such. You will be invited to relax at your leisure in the cozy reading and living rooms, which have entertained their own entourage of famous visitors including past presidents and dignitaries.

Satellite television, movies and games are available at any time in one of the living rooms, as well as coffee, soft drinks and bar service. Phone calls can be made from the public areas and offices.

ACCOMMODATION

All guestrooms are located in the main building of the Hacienda, which dates back to 1691. As the structure of the colonial building could not be changed too much, every room has its different shape and charm. Individually decorated with antiques, authentic family pictures and hand-embroidered linens, the guest rooms transmit the feeling of a private home. The rooms have beautiful garden and mountain views and some provide access to a private garden, terrace, or courtyard where hummingbirds feed.

The double beds are queen or king-size, with four pillows and anti-allergic bedding. While guests are enjoying their dinner, room service staff will put hot water bottles with beautiful embroidered cases in every bed, and there are electric blankets on request. All the rooms have a fireplace with a security glass door.

Every room has a private bathroom with bathtub. Bathrooms are equipped with four towels per person, bath robes, shampoo, soap, a hair dryer and some little extras like rose water spray and sea salt face scrub. Suites for families and adjoining rooms are available. A total of 5 rooms can be offered with twin beds and three rooms can be equipped for triple occupancy and one as quadruple.

ACTIVITIES

• Horseback riding
• Horse-drawn carriage
• Hiking and trekking
• Mountain biking
• Birdwatching
• El Taller (Embroidery Shop)
• Los Telares
• La Biblioteca de Galo Plaza
• Condor Huasi
• El Jardín del Páramo

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1

You arrive at Zuleta in the afternoon after a drive through lush pasture land. With some luck you will have stunning views of the snowcapped volcano Cayambe which is just a few miles away from Zuleta. Your host will welcome you personally at Zuleta and after checking into your room he will chat with you in the living room. One of the owners or managers will personally tell you about the activities the Hacienda offers and find out about your personal preferences, needs or questions while having some afternoon tea or coffee.

After planning your stay we will show you around the main building, you will learn more about Zuleta's history, see ex-President Galo Plaza Lasso's private library, the chapel and wander through the beautiful gardens. As sun sets it gets chilly at Zuleta, so enjoy some wine and our farm-made cheese at the fireplace while reading our information folders and books, learning more about our foundation, our horse breeding business or about local culture.

Day 2

If you are an early morning person you might want to enjoy one of the short hikes before breakfast and try to get a sight of the countless birds at Zuleta. After an exquisite breakfast with eggs, pancakes, muesli, fruit and homemade bread you will be able to visit the cheese factory and learn more about Zuleta´s semi-aged, handmade cheeses and how the process has changed throughout history.

As mornings are usually sunny throughout the whole year, it is best to take advantage and use the morning hike, bike or horseback ride to the Condor reserve. In the mornings you are more likely to see a wild condor flying. The reserve is located 5 km from the guesthouse directly in a native forest valley. You will learn about the foundation's efforts, see rescued condors in our aviary, and visit the nearby trout farm. The tour back takes us through pasture land where we ride between ancient monuments of the Caranqui culture, seeing both small burial mounds dating back to 700 AD and giant ceremonial truncated pyramids from the 13th century.

At lunch time you can enjoy freshly caught trout, then have coffee on the patio while admiring the giant hummingbird that comes frequently to feed. In the afternoon you can buy or order countless beautiful articles with hand made, colourful embroidery from Zuleta's women cooperative. Coming out of the shop the horse drawn carriage is already waiting for you and will take you down the eucalyptus alley to visit the foundation run library. This is where local children spend their afternoons to get help with homework, read and play. You can also decide to do a more challenging hike up to Condor view where you have a nice overview of the area and might meet a family of spectacled bears. You can end the day with a nice hot bath.

Day 3

After breakfast we invite you to see the organic garden, where you can learn about permaculture and see where the ingredients for your menu originate. You can explore the farm operation, feed calves, count sheep, talk to the vaqueros or watch our horsemen training young fillies before going on another horseback or bicycle ride. Today you can explore the Zuleta community or ride bikes down the mountain. After the bike ride, you are welcome to have lunch at the Hacienda's antique mill house, with stunning views of a waterfall a few steps away. Once you return to the Hacienda in the early afternoon, you should have a look at the embroidery museum, where Inocencio can demonstrate the traditional weaving process and where there are exhibits of some of the most antique and unique embroidery pieces that Zuleta's women have created throughout history.

If time allows, you can explore the Paramo garden, an interpretative site where you learn more about the rare native plants that grow above the tree line. Enjoy walking through a beautifully designed little garden with three small lagoons. Dinner is waiting for you and with some luck you will dine with of the family members who have endless stories of Zuleta's renowned history, including visits of celebrities or dignities.

Day 4

After breakfast you will be takenon your last tour to a beautiful view point - the Cunro Mountain - from where you have a stunning view of the whole Zuleta valley and all the way down to Ibarra. While having a little snack you might get the chance to see another condor flying by. Coming back to the Hacienda, it is now time to say good bye.