To really appreciate the colonial heritage of Ecuador, you have to travel up into its highlands for a night or two and stay in a hacienda. For horse lovers, a great way to explore the undulating countryside is to ride from one hacienda to another along the cobbled roads laid by the Incas.
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Quito and The Highlands: an Overview
Surrounded by the Andes, Quito has a dramatic setting and is overlooked by the Virgin of Quito, a statue atop the Panecillo hill above the Old Town. The city has been transformed in recent years as there has been restoration of old mansions and streets, installations of dramatic lighting and increased security and cleanliness. The colonial heart of the city is the old town where there are fun markets and horse and trap rides to take you round the sites.
Why we think you’ll love it
- Quito is the second highest capital city in the world (pop quiz - name the first?) and was the first city to be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
- The city also boasts one of the largest and best preserved historical quarters in all of the Americas
From the gallery
Quito and The Highlands: The Detail
Ecuador is one of the most rural countries in South America, and this is very evident in its Highlands region, where the pace of life is slow, the way of life simple, and the scenery beautiful. The two Andean mountain ranges that run parallel and cross Ecuador from north to south create everything from volcanoes and snow capped mountains to green valleys, lakes and rivers.
Dotted about this landscape are impressive colonial cities like Quito (which is second highest capital city in the world and was the first city to be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO) and Cuenca, quaint Indian villages and markets, farmlands and traditional haciendas, many of which are boutique hotels, making a lovely trip out from the city.
As well as this 16 miles north of Quito, the Equatorial Monument 'Mitad del Mundo' marks the exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere. This makes for a memorable holiday destination.
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A note on price
Weather in January
- Average Temp. — 13°C / 55°F
- Rainfall — 12cm / 4.8 inches
Flight from London
11:15 hrs
Time Difference
GMT -5 hrs
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Top picks for Quito and The Highlands
Hacienda San Agustin de Callo
Quito and The Highlands
Just over an hour from the capital Quito, the Hacienda San Agustin de Callo is built on one of the two most significant Inca sites in Ecuador.
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Casa Aliso
Quito and The Highlands
This delightful little property offers all of the style and comfort of a small luxurious home, with warm and tasteful interiors.
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Casa Gangotena
Quito and The Highlands
Located on Plaza San Francisco, a cobbled square with a history stretching back to Inca days, Casa Gangotena is the perfect base from which to explore Quito.
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Plaza Grande
Quito and The Highlands
This legendary building was originally the home of Juan Díaz de Hidalgo, one of the Spanish conquerors who founded Quito in the early 16th century.
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Hacienda Cusin
Quito and The Highlands
Situated within a wide scenic valley just south of the snow-capped Imbabura mountain lies Hacienda Cusin, a restored 17th century estate.
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Hacienda Pinsaqui
Quito and The Highlands
Hacienda Pinsaqui is a colonial property that has belonged to the Freile family since 1888 and is one of Ecuador’s oldest and most historic haciendas.
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Hacienda Zuleta
Quito and The Highlands
Zuleta is a 4,000 acre colonial working farm that has belonged to the family of a former Ecuadorian president for more than 100 years.
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Hacienda Piman
Quito and The Highlands
Hacienda Piman is a historic property in the dry mountains of Imbabura Province in the northern Ecuadorian Andes, an hour from Zuleta. The original buildings may date from the 1600s but the owners offer a really fresh (and refreshing) take on staying in a luxury hacienda in Ecuador.
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Riding Safaris in the Highlands
Quito and The Highlands
One of the best ways to explore the Ecuadorian Highlands, north of Quito, is on horseback, riding between historic Haciendas and working farms through spectacular scenery and beneath the snow-capped Andes.
What to do
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Climbing Cotopaxi
Quito and The Highlands
Get to the top as the sun rises, and you can see the peaks of the surrounding volcanoes glisten red and yellow and miles of glacier spread below with the twinkling lights of Quito visible in the distance. Well worth the climb.
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Mashpi Lodge
Quito and The Highlands
Just two and a half hours west of Quito in the biodiverse hot spot of Tumbez-Choco-Magdalena, the new Mashpi Lodge is the ideal staging post for anyone wanting to explore the Andean Cloudforest.
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Patio Andaluz
Quito and The Highlands
Located in the heart of the historic centre of Quito, this small and charming colonial-style hotel is surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments.
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