Hacienda la Alegria

We had a wonderful stay at the Hacienda La Alegria. We showed up muddy head to toe after getting stuck on a road after our hike. Gabrielle greeted us with warm tea and even washed our muddy pants (above and beyond what we ever expected). Showers had endless hot water. The room amenities were super comfortable. Everyone made us feel incredibly comfortable and at home. Our hosts even gave us after-dinner snacks for later and double portions for our box lunches the next day. Wifi worked great. And overall can't say enough about how comfortable our stay was.

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!!

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!

We had an amazing, amazing stay at Hacienda La Alegria. The scenery is stunning. We awoke each morning to a fantastic view of mountains and greenery from our large windows. The property and horseback riding were incredible, along with the hospitality from the owners who were generous with their time and made us feel at home. My wife and I rode horses two out of the three days. We had a great time and were able to see spectacular landscapes, despite myself being a beginner rider. Our guide was super helpful and engaging. The grounds, including the cows, llamas, and hot tub, topped off what was an amazing location. In addition, we had delicious food for three meals a day in very nice dining areas. Would highly recommend this location for anyone looking for a peaceful getaway with fantastic options for activities.

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

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!

I planned to stay 2-3 weeks but left after 3 days. I cannot understand why this place is highly rated. I've traveled extensively and cannot think of another experience which compares. I have NEVER felt this unsafe. I felt unsafe with and bullied by Mauri. On our first ride together (alone), dogs attacked my horse (not barked at, ATTACKED). He never even turned around to look at me, let alone attempt to assist me in any way. When I regained control of my frightened, kicking horse and evaded the dogs, I told him I felt unsafe with him and wanted to return to the Hacienda. He didn't want to. ”They’re dogs,” he said, “what do you want me to do about it?” In that moment, I decided to cut my stay short. I insisted we return to the Hacienda. We were 20 min into our ride. I asked if we were returning every 15-20 min, for an hour. "Do you feel better now?" He asked after almost an hour and a half. I suspect he ignored my request to return hoping I'd forget the incident. This made me so uncomfortable. At the Hacienda, I told Mauri I planned to leave within the next few days. He angrily demanded to know why - though I’d already told him — and dismissively waved his hands in my face when I responded. Mauri seemed, multiple times over the course of that day and the following day, to “forget” I wanted to leave. He claimed he called the taxi — I asked that afternoon and 4x the following day. When I asked for the final time, in the evening, he said "so you're REALLY leaving?" I said yes. He said he had not received a response. "What should we do if they don't respond?" I asked. "Yeah well I don't know," he said, and glared at me in silence. Luckily I found the phone number and sent a WhatsApp message; they responded in five minutes! I arranged the taxi myself. I am traveling alone; I was so disturbed by this. If I want to leave, the hotel is supposed to help me arrange transportation; I felt held hostage. I realize this sounds insane; it felt insane living it in the moment. Backtracking: on my first day there, Mauri commented on my tattoos and told me I should “stop getting them.” He told me about another client — a tattooed American woman who got into the jacuzzi “in a tiny little bikini so you could see everything.” I thought this was inappropriate and it made me uncomfortable. I shrugged it off; I traveled so far to get here and had high hopes. Mauri gave me three different horses in my 2 days of riding. The first reared when spooking. Another bolted in the paddock and bucked several times when I slowed him. I was told “these are horses for experienced riders” in a tone that implied I somehow asked for this by saying I was experienced, and should “handle it.” I did, but this was jarring and not the experience I wanted or expected when I booked my trip here. No one ever assessed my riding ability. On my second day, I witnessed a small child fall off her horse and almost get trampled. Mauri blamed her for “not controlling her horse” (she was 8 and a fi

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.