Hacienda Zuleta Overview

We welcome you to the stunning 17th-century hotel and working-farm of former Ecuador President Galo Plaza Lasso and his family. Created with his natural warmth, hospitality and community ties, Hacienda Zuleta is blessed with beautiful antique rooms, delicious home-grown Andean cuisine and a wealth of activities to choose from. Visit mountain lakes and vistas on the farm's own breed of horses, find hidden trails with centuries of history by foot or bike, see and learn about endangered species or take up a cookery or local embroidery class - all this and more is on offer at Hacienda Zuleta!

Become part of the family and experience the best of Andean hacienda living. The core ethos is to welcome you as part of the family during your stay. You live in the rooms the family members grew up in and return to, experience the personalised service at the antique dining table, and hear the funny (and sometimes hair-raising) stories of the past as you sit by the fireside. You ride the horses bred here across generations, walk the lanes laid down by Galo Plaza Lasso, eat from the gardens his wife lovingly created, and explore the community they helped forge together with the local people. For as long as you are here, Zuleta is your home and you help preserve it - house, community, and environment - for generations to come!

Accommodation

A presidential retreat opens its doors with 17 unique rooms to choose from, ideal for adventurers, honeymooners, and families alike. The hacienda has 17 unique, beautifully appointed rooms, each with its own fireplace and queen-sized, king-sized, or twin beds. Relax in cosy antique salons, wander through blossoming gardens and plazas, or read one of the hundreds of books in the President’s Library. Three different types of room are available: Junior Suite, Deluxe, and Standard. Suites for families and adjoining rooms are also available.

Little touches, like plump anti-allergic bedding, embroidered linen, fresh roses, and hot water bottles, add to the charm. Wifi is available throughout most of the Hacienda along with satellite television, movies, and games in one of the living rooms. Complimentary soft drinks are always on hand along with bar service.

Amenities And Facilities

With delightful surprises around every corner and bursting with Ecuadorean colonial charm, you could spend your whole holiday just exploring the main house and grounds.

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 recognised, the team 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 a tour of the Cheese Museum where you can learn about 14 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 4pm (or 5am, if you are adventurous), milk a cow by hand and feed the adorable baby calves.

Vegetable Garden
As a recognised eco-lodge, the farm 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, the farm grows 17 different kinds of vegetables, five different kinds of fruit, as well as herbs, spices, and medical plants. All are fertilised by the compost from the property's very own earthworm farm.

Farm to Plate
Mouth-watering, authentic Ecuadorean 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 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. 

Outdoor Dining
Add the fresh Andean air and stupendous scenery to your diet as you enjoy delicious food in the tranquil picnic area, surrounded by Caranqui mounds and towering mountains. Or perhaps you prefer lunch in the intimacy of flower-filled gardens, or drinks and Andean delicacies by a roaring bonfire under the sky? 

Craft Shop
Run by a 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 an embroidery class?

Library
Located next to the hacienda entrance, 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 guests. If you would like to visit the library and see the work, volunteer, or donate, please speak to your host during your stay.

Activities

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 the farm's own breed of horse gives you the opportunity to discover this magnificent landscape in true style! Horses for every level are available and you will be provided with good quality helmets, half chaps, rain ponchos, and a saddle bag so you can feel like a proper caballero while exploring some of the glorious horse trails.

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

Cycling
Just you, a mountain bike 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 a local chef, using handpicked produce from organic gardens.

Embroidery
Become part of the famous creative tradition of Zuleta and try your hand at embroidery with the help of 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 the Condor Huasi conservation program, the hacienda is also ensuring 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 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!