Hacienda Umbria, Cotopaxi and Papallacta

Location

Machachi (Cotopaxi and Papallacta, Ecuador)

Description

A working hacienda with 310 hectares of cultivated crops and pasture. The Andean countryside is beautiful and the farm is ringed by El Corazón, Rumiñahui, Ilinizas and Cotopaxi volcanoes.

Activities

Riding, walking, mountain biking, cooking lessons, help around the farm, visits to Cotopaxi, Saquisili market and Quilotoa crater lake.

Accommodation

Four comfortable bedrooms with private bathroom some with an open fireplace.

Our comments

Alvaro and Lorena are charming hosts and the food is delicious!

Client comments and reviews

Hacienda Umbria was just amazing. Alvaro and Lorena were fabulous, and we really felt like friends that they had invited into their home. I had wondered if we'd have limited conversations, since Rory and I only know a few words of Spanish - but Lorena speaks fluent English, and Alvaro's English was also very good. The food that Alvaro prepared for us was really incredible; he told us that he really enjoyed the challenge of cooking for vegetarians, and it showed - the meals were really inventive (no signs of the typical mushroom stroganoff or cheesy pasta bake that lots of places cook for vegetarians), with incredibly fresh ingredients. Alvaro and Lorena took us on a tour of a neighbouring rose grower, and also took us to a local marketplace to pick out things for dinner, which was great fun. There was a lot of cloud cover during our stay, but we still had some beautiful views of several volcanoes. Staying at Hacienda Umbria was just fabulous - the food, the company, the rooms, the beautiful gardens, visiting their farm - everything! - NC (March 2011)