EXPERIENCES

 

• Andean Dry Forest

The estate has preserved 20 hectares of Andean dry forest, through which you can hike along its paths, enjoy its diversity, and learn about ecology and importance of its flora and fauna.

It has more than 100 species of plants, such as giant prickly pear cactus (opuntias), bromeliads and agaves, all adapted to this fragile ecosystem. Many species are endemic and useful to man. It is flush with birds (50 species are recorded in our forest) with bright hummingbirds, flycatchers, tanagers and raptors. Here also live rabbits, foxes, paramo wolves, porcupines, marsupial frogs, snakes harmless to man, and a unique diversity of insects.

• Bromelaid Plantation

You will get to know an innovative idea for sustainable commercial production: Ecuadorian bromeliads. This is characterized by producing the plant in its own habitat and helping to regenerate the ecosystem. Its small-scale production and unique characteristics make this an exclusive flower export.

• Summer Flower Plantation

Also on the Hacienda is the summer flower plantation, Latitude Zero. It is dedicated to the production and export of summer flowers. It maintains the highest quality levels, and is Green Seal and human resources certified.

• The Old Hacienda House

Near the cabins is the hacienda house that has been inhabited by the Neumann family since 1900. Today their memories remain intact in the preserved rooms, furniture, machinery and surrounding area.

You can see the antique and modern agricultural equipment and machinery, visit the stables, watch the cows being milked, and enjoy the beautiful gardens full of chickens, ducks and geese.

• Horseback Riding

We offer beautiful horseback riding trips of one or several days. These tours take you to see the Hacienda’s attractions on roads that will delight you with their unique forests. We will reach the impressive Guayllabamba River canyon, Pisque and go up to the Mojanda paramo, Pinan, and observe the lakes and mountains.

• Bird-watching

The Hacienda and its forest have 50 recorded bird species that can be observed in the surroundings, if you love bird-watching or you decide to discover this fascinating world. Among the most common birds are hummingbirds, tanagers, raptors, flycatchers, owls, and swallows, among others

• Mountain Biking

We offer the adventure of pedaling on the Hacienda’s roads or longer journeys on nearby routes. On these routes you can enjoy scenery like lookout points, forests and paramos. We have bikes, necessary equipment and trained staff for this activity.

 

ACTIVITIES NEAR THE HACIENDA

 

• Cochasquí Ruins

In Cochasquí, there are 15 square tolas or truncated pyramids surrounded by 21 burial mounds. It is believed that the entire enclosure forms a ceremonial-ritual site. Cochasquí was possibly an astronomical site of immense importance for the Quitu-Cara culture during pre-Inca era. In Cochasquí, you’ll find an archaeological museum, two ethnographic museums, an ethno-botanical garden, and an educational museum of musical instruments and weapons.

• Jerusalem Protected Forest

Jerusalem Protected Forest, located north of the city of Quito (in the parish of Malchinguí, Canton Pedro Moncayo, Pichincha Province), is a natural, 1,100-hectare paradise of tropical high-altitude dry forest, unique in Ecuador and South America. This forest has a wide variety of uncommon flora and fauna: giant carob where plants and flowers known as epiphytes grow, which are covered with moss and bromeliads or huaycundos. The soil is completely sandy, suitable for growing different kinds of cactus and short shrubs such as purga (Croton elegans) and chamana (Dodonaea viscosa).

• The 3 Forests

The Hacienda is a strategic and ideal place to know three ecosystems within a few days: the Andean dry forest, which forms part of the Hacienda; the Mojanda or Puntas paramo; and the Andean forest of Cochasquí.

• Guayllabamba Zoo

The Zoo is located in the town of Guayllabamba. Covering an area of 12 hectares, it houses approximately 180 specimens. The exhibition includes about 45 species of native wildlife, representatives of the country’svarious eco-regions, from the paramo to the coastal and Amazon tropical forests, and the Galapagos Islands.

• Mountain Activities on the surrounding volcanoes

Use our cabins as a base for bike rides, hiking and climbing the mountains in this region of Ecuador: the Pichinchas, Cayambe, Mojanda and Puntas.

• Agrotourism

Hacienda Verde is at 0º latitude. It is part of the Jerusalem Protected Forest and is at 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) altitude in the Guayllabamba River canyon. In this magical place, 20 hectares of agroforestry plots are cultivated with Andean fruits in association with shrubs and useful herbs. This family project offers tours of these environments which straddle from one hemisphere to the other, while admiring the diversity of birds and plants. You will learn about permaculture and crops, and savor Andean fruits. At the equator, marked with plants, you can observe the sun’s movements and understand the worldview of pre-Inca Indians who lived in these lands.