Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
5.0
#1 of 2 farmhouses in Quito
Location
4.9
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.9
Value
4.8
Hacienda La Alegria is a family horse hacienda in the heart of Ecuador's "Avenue of the Volcanoes". We are situated one hour south of the historic colonial city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. One hour to Cotopaxi National park. One hour to Saquisili Market. Two hours to Quilotoa crater lake. Pasochoa Volcano, Corazon, Viudita and Illinizas volcanoes on the area. One hour to Quito Airport. Explore the dairy operation, milking cows, feeding calves, petting our 4 border collies, Aging cheese cave, 24llamas alpacas and vicuna, rabbits, guinea pig, rose garden, hacienda garden with orchids and old trees, hot tub, two fire place living rooms, wall climbing, fishing trout, making bread, pizza or BBQ at the wood oven, the 9 volcanoes at the valley, enjoy the Cotopaxi with his vapor fumes in the back of Ruminahui Volcano in front of the hacienda. The rooms are beautiful and spacious with a picture perfect view of the country side. Now also available a suite. The food, wine, the beer and cheese are delicious and plentiful. We plan to produce our own cheese with the 1500 liters of milk per day, from our 240 cattle. Learn to Ride, groom, pet, feed, shoe, educate and enjoy our 90 horses. We breed horses and for next year we plan to have 20 new foals. Enjoy the voulting experience, 3 different arenas to start riding or learn, try the wood polo horse, the chagra demonstration, riding games as the Sortijas or Cintas. Choose the multi day rides from one day to 12 day ride at the Andes. All of this makes Hacienda La Alegria a family destiny and a life time experience. The mission of Hacienda la Alegria is to provide high quality horseback riding and eco-tourism adventure along the highest trails of the Volcano avenue at the Ecuadorian Andes, assuring personalized attention and hospitality "
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Business
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Barrio Rumipamba Aloag Provincia Pichincha, Quito 170150 Ecuador
Traveling isn’t always such a rewarding experience. Staying at Hacienda Alegria is. Patty and Gabriel are such perfect hosts. One feels so totally at ease at this tranquil and elegant Hacienda . The friendly but unpretentious atmosphere captures one immediately. We decided to choose La Alegria to join Gabriel to a two day ride through the Cloud Forest. The first day you ride out to the premises around the Hacienda to pep up your ride abilities and of course to test if the horse and the saddle you are using are the right ones. In the afternoon you are asked to join to get to know the Hacienda, so you watch the cow milking process, you visit the mares and their ponies and you enjoy the tranquil surroundings. Food at La Alegria is delicious and Patty makes sure to look out for all your dietary requirements. The riding adventure started the next day. It was a real extraordinary experience. Gabriel and his wonderful team, including the patient and wonderful horses took us through a route where we could enjoy the espectacular scenery that started at 2800 mts over the mountains to a 3500 mts pass and then slowly descended to a totally different biosphere where giant farms, luscious plants and trees and thousands of orchids. Because humidity is high you are surrounded by a misty light fog that makes you feel like riding on clouds. This was a very special ride!
Read more
Date of stay: April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed 2 nights at Hacienda La Alegria, conveniently located about 1 hour south of Quito. This is a beautiful old hacienda, with a newer addition that blends in seamlessly where the guest area is located. La Alegria is mostly known for their horse riding vacations, with 100+ horses on the farm. They are also a working dairy farm. I did a lovely horse ride thru the scenic countryside and cobblestone paths. Mauricio, who helps out with the guests, was an excellent host and spoke very good English. I was interested in the local culture, and Mauricio took the time to drive me into town and around the farm. The guest rooms are large, well appointed, and have nice views. There is also a comfortable living room and deck area. Meals are good and served at an agreed upon time.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What an experience! Everything from feeling like part of the family while enjoying the food, to visiting the farm and riding the amazing horses make this an unforgettable experience. We did the cloud forest (Bombolí) and Cotopaxi three-day ride and loved the changing scenery and chance to trot and canter at altitude. Gabriel and Guido made great guides, and we loved riding Moonshine, Rosinante and Patron. (Waterproof) ponchos and full length chaps are provided so you don’t need to bring lots of waterproof gear. You do need to be a capable and reasonably fit rider, particularly as you’re riding at altitude, but this is a bucket list experience staying at beautiful haciendas and interacting with good people
Read more
Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriel and Patty, assisted by Mauricio and the team run a friendly and professional hacienda and horse riding centre. We stayed for 8 days and wished we could have been there longer! The accommodation and food was excellent but the real stars of the show are the horses that Gabriel has bred and trained. We had rides into the cloud forest and up to Cotopaxi volcano. Breath- taking views and experiences! They have a horse suited to everyone’s experience. Our hosts couldn’t do enough to make our holiday as enjoyable as possible. Thoroughly recommended!!
Read more
Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:You are staying and riding at altitude so please make sure that you take plenty of warm and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I met up with a group of friends from 6 different countries to do a horse riding trip through the Andes. The country is very diverse and beautiful! All accommodations were unique, comfortable and very special . I’m vegetarian and the meals were wonderful! Gabriel and Patty were very welcoming, kind, caring and catered to every possible need! They thought of absolutely everything. The horses were excellent at their job!I will always remember Angelito, Capo and Syd! Thanks guys! Gabriel was the main guide but Guito and Jane were were proficient and professional! Thank you. I highly recommend Hacienda La Alegria and the wonderful adventures we had! Go visit!
Read more
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:You don’t need water filters or clothing for less than +3C
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am sorry that I cannot give a better review, because the owner, Patty, was a lovely person. Let me first say that the grounds of this hacienda are absolutely gorgeous - we loved exploring it! And if you are a horse person, this is definitely the place for you - they are experts in this arena. Also, the room was very nicely appointed, had a stunning view, and the bed and linens were very comfortable. My husband and two-year-old son and I are in Ecuador for two weeks and we stayed at La Alegria for only one night. The reason for my low rating is two-fold - first, the food was the worst we've had in Ecuador. Dinner was an overcooked chicken breast, white rice and salad, and a piece of sweet cornbread for dessert. Breakfast was very average - relatively good pancakes, a bottle of Aunt Jemima on the table, stale bread, average fruit (especially for Ecuador), and coffee that I had to ask for them to warm up. Our room was dusty and the toilet and the drain in the sink had a gray ring around them from not being cleaned. The pack of farm dogs (and we love dogs) were so foul-smelling that I could hardly stand it, and they would not leave my son alone. Eventually, the staff closed the gate so that my son could play without having the dogs lick his face. Gabriel was not at the hacienda, because he was leading a group on a horse ride; again, if it's a horse experience you are seeking, I'm sure this a super option.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gabriel1703, Owner at Hacienda La Alegria
Responded Mar 26, 2014
We appreciate your comments and take them very seriously. Your room was a spacious 350 square foot with chimney, and therefore, dust from the burned wood should be expected. We are a dairy working farm with more tan 100 years in the dairy business. One of the big reasons our guests enjoy visiting La Alegria is that they like to be part of a working farm during their stay; they enjoy the typical farm, such as watching the cows being milked which I was told you didn’t like the smell. All the farm animals have their own scents including the farm dogs. Unfortunately you never requested for the dogs to be locked away. We would’ve done that in a heartbeat! Our water comes from springs with high levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which is great for our pastures but causes difficulty for us to eliminate water rings from the toilet. We are testing new chemicals to eliminate the buildup of calcium, but rest assured, it wasn’t because we hadn’t cleaned. Our food is always highly praised and guests ask for our recipes. We have more than 130 guest comments complementing our food. We take extreme care in preparing our guests meals and use high quality ingredients. For breakfast, we like to offer foreign maple syrup to children and untraveled guests that are not used to our syrup, in addition to a variety of fruits, eggs and fresh bread. The chicken is the best choice for young children; your son was our guest and didn’t pay anything. The dessert you were served is called torta de maquenio, which is made with a special type of plantain grown in Ecuador, and the recipe is a old family recipe, we don’t serve cornbread. We would’ve liked for you to stay longer to be able to enjoy our variety of meals including our highly praised soups. Estimada Elizabeth muchas gracias por tus comentarios de la hacienda tenemos la suerte de estar a 45 minutos de Quito y poder disfrutar de la tranquilidad del campo en un verde valle, rodeado de 9 volcanes. Nuestras habitaciones de 350 pies cuadrados algunas tienen chiminea y seguramente la tuya tenia algo del polvo de la lena que esta junto a la chiminea. Nos encanta saber que tu familia disfruto de la comodidad. Como te habrás enterado la actividad de la lechería en la hacienda la Alegria, tiene mas de 100 anos operando y todos nuestros invitados la disfrutan, se que tuviste que salir de la sala de ordeno pues no te gusto el olor a vaca, obviamente los animales tienen sus propios perfumes y así los caballos tiene su olor, los perros en el campo también los tienen. Los perros van a tener un bano mas frecuente. El mas oloroso es un viejo pastor ingles ingles que se unió a nosotros en la cabalgata a Banos, hoy dia Guido, uno de los 14 empleados que tiene Hacienda La Alegria se ha llevado a su casa. Los otros tres perros son border collie que son el encanto de los invitados. Hemos terminado de hacer puertas para que cuando haya clientes que no les guste los perros los podamos tener en la parte de las pesebreras. Nunca pediste que guardaran los perros, por lo que con seguridad estaban junto al niño, situación que la respetamos y estamos listos a guardar los perros a pedido de los invitados. Este anos esperamos terminar el proyecto de producir queso de vaca y madurarlo en nuestra cueva a 12 grados centígrados . Respecto a la limpieza te comento que el agua de vertiente que tenemos contiene altos niveles de calcio, magnesio, potasio y otros mas (gracias a eso tenemos buenos pastos), lo que hace casi imposible de eliminar unas pequeñas manchas que se forman en el nivel del agua. A pesar de no ser suciedad, la hemos limpiado con los quimicos del equipo de ordeno que sirven para limpiar la piedra de calcio que se forma naturalmente por el tipo de agua que viene de cuevas de 100 metros de profundidad en la montana. Estamos buscando una solución para mejorar la presentación, ya que no es suciedad. La comida es un gran activo de Hacienda La Alegria y muchos de nuestros invitados nos solicitan las recetas de la comida. tenemos mas de 130 comentarios alabando el arduo trabajo de la cocina que esta a cargo de Paty, con quien cenaste. Las recetas son una mezcla de comida local tales como sopas y postres, y el plato fuerte es mas comida internacional, con un importante detalle de calidad e higiene, es así que las legumbres son exclusivamente producidas en cultivos hidroponicos, lo que permite tener la certeza de que nuestros invitados no se enfermen, Normalmente la primera noche que llegan nuestros invitados se les provee de una alimentación liviana, por lo que el pollo es una buena alternativa ya que es la preferida delos niños como el tuyo que fue nuestro invitado y no pago nada. Nos hubiera gustado el que puedas quedarte mas dias y tengas la oportunidad de aprender mas de las tradiciones y disfrutar de las mejores sopas de queso, de ají de carne, de brocoli, el locro de papas o de sambo, la quinoa, o escoger las mas de 300 variadas sopas que hay en Ecuador y que muchas de ellas solo se las come en el campo. Otra opción es cosechar la Quinoa, las cebollas, los mellocos o la Mashua (variedades de papa andina), los chochos o los sambos de nuestra huerta y cocinar con ellas. Ecuador es privilegiado por la maravilla de fruta, que nos permite tener 365 dias al ano fruta fresca y jugos que maravillan y deleitan a todos los invitados, frutas que crecen en nuestra fértil tierra, que da un sabor distintivo y exótico de la variedad y calidad. Los desayunos son tipo buffet y se ofrece una variedad de frutas, jugo de frutas, mermelada, mantequilla, cereal, yogurth, huevo, pancakes, miel de cana de azúcar, o panela (la preferida), pero también se ofrece la importada Ant Jemaima para mimar a los niños que vienen del exterior y que a lo mejor están acostumbrados a este sabor de la miel. El cafe es ecuatoriano y de lo mejor, mas de 3500 visitantes por ano nos han consultado del cafe, es cafe Minerva negro tostado, que se lo tiene a disposición de los invitados 24 horas en una cafetera de tipo hotelera lo que da calidad y obviamente siempre esta bien caliente, así como te y pan caliente, que seguramente no fue de tu agrado. Esperamos nos visites en el futuro y que tengas una gran experiencia en nuestra Hacienda La Alegria, que trabajamos para ofercer un producto de calidad.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Four of us spent a week and had the pleasure of owner Gabriel's first class attention. We were made to feel at home from the very first minute. His passion, enthusiasm and professionalism shine out.
The bedrooms are spacious, the beds comfortable and the bed linen crisp and boast wonderful views.
Meals are three courses - always a soup, always different, always tasty.
With those wonderful views of the surrounding valley la Alegria would be a great place to chill out and it comes into its own if you enjoy riding (or want to learn how to ride) horses. Three of us were experienced riders, me a novice. We rode every day and the experienced amongst us had a different horse offered each day - tailored to their strengths. For the novice lessons were given on the rides - which started at 2 hours and by the end of the week has stretched to five and a half.
A highlight of the week was a two day ride to the Cloud Forrest, an overnight stay at the Orchid Hospital and a morning guided tour by Osvaldo - an expert whose motto is 'Agua, comida y amore': you'll soon see what he means if you make the trip. I managed the five and a half hours riding to the Cloud Forrest so anyone can!
We also visited the local livestock market and mayors market on Sunday.
Quito is an hours drive from la Alegria and the hosts will arrange for those who wish a tour there.
La Alegria is a working dairy farm so parts of it are muddy - you don't need to go near it if you would rather not - but you'd be missing out so take some boots and muck in.
We recommend this to anyone who wants a luxury riding experience.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gabriel1703, Owner at Hacienda La Alegria
Responded Nov 18, 2015
Dear Philip I enjoy also your stay and your nice family. I am proud about your riding improvement and can argue that at Hacienda La Alegria every rider can learn much more in a week, than a full year at a riding school Our riding procedure and the horses education make us proud and happy to share with our guests. KEEP RIDING and come back for our QUILOTOA LOOP RIDE for beginners and families abrazo Gabriel
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
"Wild Andes" : 280 kilometers, 7.000 m D+, 10 hours riding everyday !! An amasing cocktail which combined with Gabriel and Patty's warm welcome made for a sensationnal riding trip over these past few days (15/08 to 25/08). The best riding trip we have ever experienced!!! Our thanks to all the Hacienda la Alegria's team. Hope to come back ASAP. Keep on riding!!!! Florence and Xavier (France).
Read more
Date of stay: August 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from laalegria, Propietario at Hacienda La Alegria
Responded Sep 6, 2015
Dear Florence and Xavier many thanks for your nice comment and to share with us our passion Wild Andes is a nice option for repeating riders, also we have the option to use the Quilotoa loop to replace the old Volcano Ride. abrazo Paty Gabriel and hacienda team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I stayed two weeks on a horseback vacation in July 2014. Hacienda la Alegría is truly a little corner of paradise. The charming century-old house is a perfect place to relax while enjoying the view of the surrounding mountains, but also to discover the atmosphere of a working dairy farm. The rooms are beautiful, elegantly decorated and very comfortable. Above all the owners, Gabriel and Paty, are incredibly warm and welcoming. They ate with us, inviting us into their beautiful dining room, shared their stories and and made us feel at home in their home. The food, by the way, was absolutely delicious - a variety of soups, home-style dishes and cakes in abundant portions, plus cheese aged in the hacienda's special cave.
The best part is the horse treks. For the first few days, we went for day trips around the hacienda, which enabled us to discover the horses and the beautiful scenery of the Volcano Avenue. The horses are just amazing, extremely well-trained and relaxed, almost never tired and never afraid of anything. Regardless of your riding experience, you can trust them in a heartbeat - so much so that the novice riders who were with us quickly who ended up cantering confidently with a huge smile. To make it even better, every day when we came back to the hacienda, a cold beer was waiting for us and the jacuzzi had been heated for us to relax.
We also joined the annual Chagra parade in Machachi wearing the traditional ponchos, hats and chaps to ride through the streets, along with 1800 chagras, with music and a cheering crowd! It was a very festive and fun moment that we shared with Gabriel's family and the hacienda's team. The next day, we left for a spectacular week-long ride around the Cotopaxi volcano. All along the way the landscape was gorgeous, with views changing every day but always breathtaking. Galloping at 4200m in front of the snowy summit of the Cotopaxi is a once in a lifetime experience. Gabriel and Rodrigo not only are expert guides but were also always in a good mood, full of kindness and with a contagious passion for their horses and their mountains. They did everything possible, or more, to make sure we were comfortable and happy every single minute of the trip.
In a word, I highly recommend Hacienda la Alegría and their horse trips. Many thanks to Gabriel and everyone else for making my stay unforgettable. I had not yet left that I was already looking forward to returning!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2014
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gabriel1703, Propietario at Hacienda La Alegria
Responded Sep 21, 2014
Dorothee was a pleasure to have you at AROUND COTOPAXI RIDE & CHAGRA PARADE many thanks for your nice comments gabriel
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I'm sitting in front of the fire in the lobby of Hotel Cultura Manor reflecting on the last ten days spent exploring the Andes by horseback. Gabriel Espinosa and his right hand man, Rodrigo guided us over the most amazing terrain on horses I would describe as the most sure-footed athletes I have ever ridden.
What is important to me on any ride is that the horses are well trained and well looked after. Gabriel's horses are both. Secondly they are very comfortable to ride; some of them are gaited.
Our creature comforts; the food was great, the beds were super and everyone we dealt with was friendly and accommodating. Gabriel's gracious wife, Patty and his support vehicle driver, Jorge did everything they could to make us feel welcome.
We rode up thru the cloud forest on Bomboli to spend a night with Oswaldo and Marianne in an enchanted home, totally off the grid. Living by candle light and dedicating themselves to the preservation of their unique biosphere and the many varieties of orchids that grow symbiotically in the surrounding trees.
Next we rode for six days and just under 300 kilometres in a sweeping arc through the back roads and trails of the Andes highlands. We skirted volcanos, crossed rivers, edged along a crater lake and soaked in natural hot springs. Had lunch with indigenous children in their school house, cantered along Parámo (alpine meadow) trails and saw wild vicuña herds.
It was a sad farewell when we left for Quito and home. I know I'll return.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2017Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gabriel E, Propietario at Hacienda La Alegria
Responded Mar 19, 2017
Dear Heather we are happy you had a good time. at the hacienda we enjoy so share our passion abrazo gabriel
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Quito area.
PRICE RANGE
$144 - $145 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hacienda la alegria hotel quito
LOCATION
EcuadorPichincha ProvinceQuito
NUMBER OF ROOMS
11
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
