1-Night Hacienda Zuleta — CALL

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Hacienda Zuleta is one of Ecuador's most celebrated luxury lodges, situated in the Zuleta Valley about 85 kilometers north of Quito and roughly an hour from Otavalo, at 2,800 meters above sea level. Dating back to 1691, it was once the private residence of former Ecuadorian president Galo Plaza Lasso, and his family continues to run it to this day. Outside Magazine named it one of the world's top ten travel finds, and National Geographic Traveler has recognized it among the best hotels in Ecuador.

The estate covers around 2,000 hectares of pastureland, native forest, and farmland, functioning as a fully working farm producing milk, artisan cheeses, quinoa, potatoes, organic vegetables, and trout. It also maintains a stable of around 100 horses, a trout farm, an organic garden, and a dedicated Andean condor rehabilitation center called Condor Huasi. The hacienda offers 15 to 21 rooms spread across the main house and a renovated wing, each unique in shape and character. All feature polished wooden floors, hand-embroidered linens, antique furniture, fresh roses, wood-burning fireplaces, and private bathrooms with bathtubs. Communal areas include cozy sitting rooms with open fireplaces, a family library, and cobblestone courtyards lined with geraniums, giving the property the feel of a private home rather than a hotel.

Dining is served communally at a long antique cedar table using family recipes and ingredients grown entirely on the estate. Activities include horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching, visits to the condor center and cheese factory, embroidery lessons with local indigenous communities, and exploration of nearby pre-Columbian burial pyramids. Each guest is assigned a personal host upon arrival, and descendants of the former president are often present to share the hacienda's history by the fire.