Our Otavalo Tours Explore the Andean Sierra & Beyond

Beautiful! If you want to stay in a beautifully restored Spanish style hacienda where you come back to your room to find a fire in... read moreIf you want to stay in a beautifully restored Spanish style hacienda where you come back to your room to find a fire in the grate and a hot water bottle in the bed, where fresh herbs are picked from the kitchen garden for your tea, where you can wander the grounds for hours, or relax in one of the many reading areas, eat wonderful food and be treated like royalty, then this is the place for you. read less

Wonderful property, full of great experiences and a helpful staff We stayed for four days in February at the Hacienda Cusin. The Hacienda is located about 20 minutes from Otavalo, tucked between a small... read moreWe stayed for four days in February at the Hacienda Cusin. The Hacienda is located about 20 minutes from Otavalo, tucked between a small town and a string of farms and fields filling up the end of the valley. The Hacienda grounds encompass maybe three acres or so, with the hacienda itself, multiple outbuildings (many containing guest rooms), gardens, lawns, paths, and dividing walls. The grounds are surrounded by a high wall, with the associated Monastery (also containing guest rooms) and stables just outside. The grounds were so filled up that, honestly, a highlight of the stay was just walking around every day and exploring - even on the last day we found some areas we hadn't seen before. Our room was in one of the small outbuildings at the rear of the property, which contained three rooms total. The room was reasonably spacious, and even included a small sitting room. Attractively decorated, clean, and charming. It was also super-quiet. There was no TV, and the wi-fi didn't reach all the way to the room (it is available in the main building), but honestly I didn't care, because I'm not going to Ecuador for wi-fi. It did get damp and chilly after dark, but they lit a fire every night, which quickly warmed the place up; in addition, they provided a hot water bottle for every guest (I'd never used on before, but those suckers stay warm all the way... We stayed for four days in February at the Hacienda Cusin. The Hacienda is located about 20 minutes from Otavalo, tucked between a small town and a string of farms and fields filling up the end of the valley. The Hacienda grounds encompass maybe three acres or so, with the hacienda itself, multiple outbuildings (many containing guest rooms), gardens, lawns, paths, and dividing walls. The grounds are surrounded by a high wall, with the associated Monastery (also containing guest rooms) and stables just outside. The grounds were so filled up that, honestly, a highlight of the stay was just walking around every day and exploring - even on the last day we found some areas we hadn't seen before.

Our room was in one of the small outbuildings at the rear of the property, which contained three rooms total. The room was reasonably spacious, and even included a small sitting room. Attractively decorated, clean, and charming. It was also super-quiet. There was no TV, and the wi-fi didn't reach all the way to the room (it is available in the main building), but honestly I didn't care, because I'm not going to Ecuador for wi-fi. It did get damp and chilly after dark, but they lit a fire every night, which quickly warmed the place up; in addition, they provided a hot water bottle for every guest (I'd never used on before, but those suckers stay warm all the way til morning.

A hot breakfast is included, and although the choices are limited, it was always wonderful. They also have lunch and dinner service, with a few soups/salads/sandwiches and a rotating fixed-price menu with a few options. We tried a bunch of things (ate dinner there all four days), and although there were a few misses (like literally every other restaurant I've ever gone to), the salads and soups were almost all great, and almost all the mains were.

Maybe one disadvantage of the Hacienda is that the good restaurants outside seem to be all the way into Otavalo. Getting there and back, twenty minutes each way after dark, felt like a lot of effort, so we wound up staying in for supper every day. There are some small places in the village next door, though.

The Hacienda arranged out transportation from the airport at the beginning of the stay, and to the door of our hotel in Quito at the end of the stay. They also helped arrange tings to do around the hacienda, which we chose day-by-day as the whim struck us. The hacienda has bikes for rent, and available horses, and some suggestions for hiking - all of which we did. They also have a cooking class, which we didn't have time to do, unfortunately. Front desk staff all speak excellent English, which helps for complex questions. Many of the other staff just speak rudimentary English, but coupled with my rudimentary Spanish we communicated with no problem.

There are a bunch of other things to do near Otavalo, which is a 20-minute, eight-dollar taxi ride away. We went to the market a couple times, as well as the big waterfall north of town, and the Condor Park.

All in all a great experience. There were so many things to do we couldn't do them all, and the Hacienda was a great base to relax in. More read less

Enchanting place We came here for the first leg of our Ecuadorian honeymoon. It's a magical place, if you value impeccable gardens, attentive service, delicious food,... read moreWe came here for the first leg of our Ecuadorian honeymoon. It's a magical place, if you value impeccable gardens, attentive service, delicious food, and a sense of history. They arranged for our airport transport and transport to our next destination, as well as a knowledgeable, fluent English-speaking driver to take us around to the surrounding towns and sights. We rode horses from their stables, and enjoyed the surrounding stunning vistas. The gardens within the hacienda compound provide food at the restaurant.
Excellent experience. read less