Ecuador traditional hacienda vacation

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

The Andean Flavors Culinary Tour connects Quito, Otavalo, and Cotopaxi entirely by ground transportation, as there are no viable flight routes between these destinations. The itinerary also includes walking tours in Quito’s historic center, Otavalo’s market, and around the haciendas, promoting low-impact, human-powered exploration.

Meals featured throughout the tour rely on seasonal and local ingredients, sourced from markets within Quito and directly from the haciendas’ own production. Hacienda Zuleta and Hacienda El Porvenir grow their own produce and raise livestock, ensuring a short supply chain and reducing transport-related emissions. Illa Experience Hotel sources fresh ingredients from local vendors to support Quito’s traditional food systems and reduce reliance on industrial distribution channels.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Each accommodation on this tour engages in practices that support environmental responsibility. Hacienda Zuleta maintains organic gardens, and composting systems, and runs the Condor Huasi Project, focused on the protection and rehabilitation of the Andean condor. Hacienda El Porvenir, located in a high-altitude rural area near Cotopaxi National Park, applies land management strategies to protect the páramo ecosystem, including responsible grazing and soil preservation.

Illa Experience Hotel contributes to urban sustainability through its support for traditional neighborhoods and thoughtful use of green space, including a tiered irrigation system that nourishes its ornamental geranium garden. Plastic use is limited, and the hotel emphasizes low-impact hospitality. The tour also includes entrance to Cotopaxi National Park, a protected natural area with active conservation efforts.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The tour features 100% Ecuadorian-owned accommodations: Illa Experience Hotel, Hacienda Zuleta, and Hacienda El Porvenir. Each has strong ties to its local context and generates direct benefits for nearby communities.

At Zuleta, guests engage with local cheesemakers and embroidery artisans whose work reflects long-standing regional traditions. At El Porvenir, cooking activities and hospitality services are carried out by residents of the surrounding rural areas. In San Marcos, the neighborhood surrounding Illa Experience Hotel, guests take part in workshops led by artisans specializing in crafts such as toquilla hat weaving, dessert-making, and ceramics, an initiative that generates stable income and preserves cultural heritage.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

All staff involved in the operation of this tour are Ecuadorian, many of them from the regions directly visited. Both Hacienda Zuleta and Hacienda El Porvenir prioritize hiring from nearby communities and offer long-term employment in hospitality and agriculture.

Illa Experience Hotel, supports the NESTS Project, a professional training initiative that prepares young Ecuadorians for careers in tourism through mentorship, housing, and hands-on learning in hospitality and entrepreneurship. This program contributes to the development of sustainable tourism practices rooted in local leadership.