Hacienda Primvara Wilderness Ecolodge is located in the El Choco rainforest reserve. This is a great option for travelers looking to combine a trip to the Ecuadorian tropical forests with a hacienda experience. The hacienda is located three hours Northwest of Quito and one and a half hours Northwest of Otavalo. The same family has owned the hacienda for over 90 years.

The Ecolodge has large rooms, spacious suites, a gourmet restaurant, a pool and is part of a working horse and cattle ranch. Activities offered include horseback riding, guided jungle hikes, mountain biking, white-water rafting, and an autoferro train ride. Hotel guests can explore the lush tropical surroundings and the many waterfalls through various excursions or participate in daily farm activities such as cattle herding or milking the cows. The ecolodge maintains an eco-friendly atmosphere by promoting local conservation, reforestation and responsible travel.

In the heart of Ecuador 's lake district, Hotel in Otavalo, Hacienda Pinsaquí, rich with centuries of history , invites you to become part of its magic, tradition, romance and legends. Hacienda Pinsaquí is ideally situated at the base of Imbabura Volcano , just north of the world-famous otavalo market , and only an hour-and-a-half from Quito , Ecuador 's charming capital. Its location also allows effortless access to the region's many attractions: the lakes of San Pablo , Cuicocha and Mojanda, as well as the white colonial city of Ibarra and local handicraft villages like Cotacachi.

Hacienda Cusin is a restored 17th-century Andean estate at 8,500 feet , close to the Equatorial Line and 90 minutes north of Quito and its airports. This elegant Ecuador hotel is 20 minutes south of the famous market town of Otavalo.

Cusin's terracotta-tiles, winding cobblestone path-ways, fountain court- yards, towers and perennial gardens nestle beneath a deep blue sky in a wide lake-valley. Nearby, the often snow-capped 15,000-foot Imbabura mountain and Cotacachi volcano are reflected in Lago San Pablo.

Ancient lakebed soil, cool nights and a predictable equatorial sun have conspired with avid gardeners to create ever-blooming perennial gardens that include belladonna, bougainvillea, agapantha, acanthus, foxgloves, orchids, palms, flora, which attract over 50 species of birds .

Antiques and select Andean craft-furnished salons and guest rooms, the majority with log-burning fire places, beamed-ceilings and King beds, have extensive garden views.

Perfect for an Ecuador wedding. Stimulating for a conference . A wonderful environment to learn Spanish . And convenient for an Otavalo market-goers lunch at our sister hotel Las Palmeras Inn .

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“Surprising, isn't it, how often you can work the conversation around to the fact that you've slept in a house that belongs to the presidential family? Never mind that this particular president, Ecuador 's Galo Plaza Lasso, has been out of office since 1952. His descendants will treat you like a member of the family at Hacienda Zuleta, a historic retreat in the Andean cloud forest about two and a half hours northeast of Quito . The adobe hacienda, built in 1691, is the centerpiece of a 4,000-acre working farm that includes a dairy, cheese factory, organic garden, tree nursery, trout farm, embroidery workshop, and condor-raising project. Most guests saddle up one of 90 horses and ride out through pine and eucalyptus forests and high-altitude grasslands to pre-Inca archaeological sites amid magnificent volcano views. You can also hike, cycle, or take tours to nearby indigenous villages. The nine guest rooms are appointed with Spanish Colonial antique furniture, down comforters, and linens embroidered by local Indian women. And unlike in the U.S. , you don't have to make a political donation to sleep at the president's house...”

“Cotopaxi's shape is the most beautiful and regular of all the colossal peaks in the high Andes . It is a perfect cone covered by a thick blanket of snow which shines so brilliantly at sunset it seems detached from the azure of the sky.” Alexander von Humboldt, 1820

One and a quarter hours from Quito , capital of Ecuador , stands the beautiful and little known colonial Hacienda of San Agustín de Callo. Built on the site of an Inca palace, one of the two most important archaeological Inca sites in Ecuador , and the point furthest north from Cuzco of Imperial style construction, this working farm offers an unrivalled glimpse into Ecuador 's rich and colourful past. Since the 15th century San Agustin de Callo has served as Inca fortress, Augustinian convent and temporary home for the French Geodesic Mission whose scientific results helped to determine the true shape of the planet. Famous visitors include Jorge Juan and Antonio de Ulloa who were appointed by the King of Spain to host the Geodesic Mission in 1736, the awesome scientific enterprise organized and led by Charles-Marie de la Condamine; Alexander von Humboldt German scientist and renowned naturalist and explorer and the illustrious English mountain climber Edward Whymper.

The varied and influential inhabitants of San Agustín de Callo have contributed to the unique blend of architecture which creates the individual character of the house. In the main courtyard it is possible to see three distinct styles, Inca (Imperial style – 15th century, construction style which the Incas used for their temples and palaces), Spanish Colonial (18th century) and Republican (19th century). The Hacienda has been written about by the famous chronicler Cieza de León (1536). This Inca Palace or temple was built by Tupac-Yupanqui (Inca Emperor) or Huayna-Capac in the 15th century. San Agustin de Callo constitutes the only lived in museum of Inca Imperial and Spanish Colonial style.

By far the most impressive sights are the perfectly carved volcanic stone walls of two of the Inca rooms which have survived the centuries and now serve as chapel and dining room.

Surrounded by the smoke-blackened walls of the dining room, one can marvel at the infinite precision of the stonemasonry, a monument to the unrivalled craftsmanship of the Incas, and admire the stunning view of Cotopaxi , the highest active volcano in the world. This magical spectacle was extolled by Alexander von Humboldt who visited the Inca site in 1802 and included his observations in his work "Vue de Cordillères et Monuments des Peuples Indigènes de L´ Amèrique" Paris 1810 ; and immortalized by the famous painter, Frederic Church ( Hudson River School ) in 1859. This unique experience provides guests with a perfect setting to savour the Hacienda's excellent Ecuadorian cuisine and enjoy its warm hospitality.

In 1921 the Hacienda was purchased by General Leonidas Plaza Gutierrez, leader of the liberal Revolution. Plaza went on to become President of Ecuador in 1901 and again in 1912, a position which was to be held by his son Galo Plaza in 1948. The Hacienda has remained in the family to this day and is currently owned by the General's granddaughter, Mignon Plaza , whose father, the distinguished congressman and legendary amateur bullfighter, Jose María Plaza , played a pivotal role in politics throughout his life.

This temple or palace was built around 1440 A.D. by one of the last Inca emperors, Huayna-Cápac, and to this day the remaining rooms prevail as a magnificent sample of the unique style of Inca construction. The site is currently being investigated by Dr. David Brown of the University of Texas , the funding of which was provided by the National Geographic Society. Previously unknown portions of Inca walls and foundations have been discovered throughout the restoration process of the house