Hacienda Zuleta

We offer a different and unforgettable, warm experience, with all of the amenities. Discover life underground, inside a cave full of history and myth. Fine cuisine, relaxation, and plenty of activities await you in a dreamy, old-style Andean setting, surrounded by nature, as if in a time warp.

As with any sculptor faced with a massive rock to be carved into a work of fine art, Álvaro Bustamante – the creator of this magical spot – had a dream and a clear vision. In the middle of the last century, with the grand city of Quito to his back to west, and the mighty Andes towering at his front to the east, Álvaro began to carve and chisel away into a giant hillside that would eventually become his home. His talents were many, but this one would prove to be his pinnacle; Tolkien would have been envious. The history of this old hacienda runs deep, and we want to share it with you in its completely renovated and decked out reincarnation, with all of the modern standards.

Hiking

Explore different routes through idyllic pastures, aromatic woods, and winding mountain trails, where soaring condors and Andean bears make their home and volcanoes rise on every side.

Horseback riding

An exclusive stable with our own breed of Zuleteño horse gives you the opportunity to discover this magnificent landscape in true style! We have horses for every level and provide you with good quality helmets, half chaps, rain ponchos, and a saddle bag so you can feel like a proper caballero while exploring some of our glorious horse trails.

Carriage

Watch the beautiful scenery go by from the comfort of our pretty horse-drawn carriage.

Cycling

Just you, our mountain bikes and miles of scenic roads through valleys and high grasslands. Let the world open up before you as the horizon fades into the blue yonder…

Cooking Class

Learn to cook Andean specialities together with our local chef, using handpicked produce from our organic gardens.

Embroidery

In every stitch is a piece of my soul…even if I can’t go abroad, my embroidery goes for me. – Teresa Casa, famous local embroiderer

Become part of the famous creative tradition of Zuleta and try your hand at embroidery with the help of our friendly local experts!

Bird watching

From bejewelled hummingbirds to magnificent condors, Zuleta is a haven for bird species of all kinds, and one of the few places you can see the extremely rare condor in the wild. With our Condor Huasi conservation program, we are also insuring that this will be a sight to see for many years to come.

Zuleta for Kids

With horseback riding, milking cows, treasure hunts, straw house building, bonfires, and becoming a proper Zuleta cowboy, the opportunities are endless for children! And with the entire hacienda and its lands as a playground, together with our super friendly dogs, they will not want to leave.

Bonfires

Tired from a long, exciting day hiking or horse-riding? Let the family relax by the fire and experience traditional Andean music and culture. And no bonfire is complete without marshmallows for toasting!

FARM HOUSE

Working Farm

As well as a beautiful hotel, the Hacienda retains its roots as a working farm, producing 6000 liters of milk a day, wheat, barley, cheese in 14 varieties, cream, trout, wool, mutton, horses, wood, and even compost from our earthworm farm.

Condor Huasi

Nationally and internationally recognized, we have been working tirelessly for 20 years to conserve and increase the numbers of the critically endangered Andean condor and to protect the rest of this ecologically rich area.

Cheese Factory

Join us on a tour of our Cheese Museum where you can learn about how we make 16 types of fresh, semi-aged, and aged cheese. Each variety is handmade with local milk by local people with the unique Zuleta spirit!

Dairy Farm

Experience a real dairy farm with over 300 prized Holsteins cows. See the milking at 4:00pm (or 5:00am, if you are adventurous), milk a cow by hand and feed the adorable baby calves.

FARM TO PLATE

Mouth-watering, authentic Ecuadorian cuisine, sourced from the farm and made from family recipes, comes freshly prepared just for you.

Be waited upon like a president as you dine on our specially prepared three course meals, full of ingredients sourced mainly from the Hacienda itself: freshly caught rainbow trout, melt-in-your-mouth cheese, and organic produce from Rosario Plaza’s own gardens. We also provide scrumptious vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and lactose intolerant menu options.

Vegetable Garden

As a recognized eco-lodge, we are proud to serve you from the organic gardens of Rosario Plaza, Galo Plaza Lasso’s wife. Within three hectares of blossoming flowers and trees, we grow 17 different kinds of vegetables, five different kinds of fruit, as well as herbs, spices, and medical plants. All are fertilized by the compost from our very own earthworm farm.

Craft Shop

Run by our non-profit Foundation, El Taller provides you with handmade goods of the highest quality from Zuleta and other parts of Ecuador, while supporting the hard-working people who made them. Inspired by a visit to Spain in the early 20th century, Rosario Plaza arranged for training for the indigenous women to use their embroidery skills to earn extra income for their families. Lovingly created, some requiring months of work, these pieces represent the artistry of the region and make special souvenirs; the items available include tablecloths, placemats, curtains, and blouses. Why not go one step further and learn the skill in our embroidery class?

Library

The Zuleta Library offers lots of educational materials and activities; these include classes, books, computer equipment, and an annual summer camp. Many of the children are from disadvantaged backgrounds and benefit greatly from scholarships funded by the generous donations of our guests. If you would like to visit the Library and see our work, volunteer, or donate, please contact us or speak to your host during your stay.

Zuleta Community

Our village is an indigenous agricultural community settled since the time of the Caranquis. Zuleteños are a proud, creative, and tenacious people committed to preserving their traditions and environment in balance with the developing modern world.

Archaeology

Impressive ramp pyramids and mounds dot the landscape, hinting at a long vanished past. Explore one of the two best preserved Caranqui mound sites in Ecuador, where chieftains ruled over the valleys long before the Inca conquest.

Festivals

Andean devil masks and swirling skirts, families singing to the thrum of guitars, liquor-fueled revelry and late night fireworks – you haven’t seen the true Andean spirit until you have experienced one of our fiestas!