Throughout the highlands of Ecuador – both north to Otavalo and Ibarra, and to the south along the Avenue of the Volcanoes to Cotopaxi – you will find haciendas. Many of these properties are restored historical family homes and ranches. Each hacienda has its own unique flavor and atmosphere, with local influences and echoes of the family that once lived there.
Hacienda Zuleta, located about an hour and half north of Quito, was built in the 1600’s and once belonged to the family of a former president of Ecuador. Now a hotel and working farm (and cheese producer!), the property has not lost any of its warmth as a residence and really feels like entering into your long-lost Ecuadorian grandmother’s home.
Family heirlooms, photos, and paintings adorn the halls, which are also lined with bright pink and red geraniums. Throughout the hacienda, there are a number of “living rooms,” perfect for gathering before dinner over a cheese plate and discussing your day. Or for borrowing a book and getting cozy near the always-stoked fireplaces.
While there is more than enough to keep visitors occupied inside Zuleta’s buildings, you will certainly be rewarded by venturing outside. Upon arrival, you will have a representative from the hacienda assigned to be your activity and overall experience guide – a little like a personal concierge to help make your stay exactly what you want. They will explain the variety of activity options – from showing you the best hiking trails, horseback riding, mountain biking, cooking classes, touring the farm operation, visiting the condor rescue center, or even an embroidery lesson!
Once you’ve decided how you want to spend your time, they will help make the arrangements with you. But, honestly, this is the perfect place to unwind from a jam-packed trip, so opting to just relax and explore at your leisure won’t mean sacrificing any experience.
What I loved most about visiting Zuleta and about the hacienda experience was getting a chance to see an entirely different side of Ecuador. Up to this point, so much of my time was focused on the wildlife of the Amazon and Galapagos, but here I got to learn more about the history and culture of the country. My last stop in Ecuador was fun, edifying, and restorative!
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week