Northern Highlands
This fairy-tale 17th-century hacienda is on the southern outskirts of San Pablo del Lago, 10km from Otavalo. Tall cedar trees shade the garden paths…
Must-see hotels in Northern Highlands
Mindo
Run by a warmhearted and knowledgeable American-Ecuadorian couple, El Monte is a lush ecofriendly retreat with six lovely, private riverside cabins. The…
Northern Highlands
One of Ecuador's finest hotels lies beyond an unpaved entry road, past iron gates, white cupolas and columned entrances where peacocks stroll the green…
Northern Highlands
Parque Bambú, rechristened from Bosque de Paz to dissociate it from any funereal implications, is run by a friendly Ecuadorian/Belgian couple. Comfortable…
Northern Highlands
A river runs through this idyllically situated 75-acre property with several comfortably rustic houses. It's a blood-pressure-lowering refuge from the…
Mindo
Highly recommended for seclusion and tranquility with a splash of luxury is this small complex of two-story wooden cabins 2km from town. Porches with…
Northern Highlands
On the road to Lagunas de Mojanda is this lovely inn with gorgeous views of steep Andean farmland. Cheerful adobe cottages are equipped with electric…
Northern Highlands
Past rows of cornfields 4.5km south of Otavalo on the long uphill to the Lagunas, La Luna has million-dollar views for budget-minded travelers. Guests…
Otavalo
The bargain prices have risen some, but we still love Freddy's charming wood-floored, high-ceilinged rooms that surround a delightful inner courtyard with…
Northern Highlands
Literally on the other side of the tracks, 5km from downtown, this family-owned working farm sits on a bucolic property with canyon and mountain views…
Otavalo
This small, Dutch-owned colonial-style hotel is cozy, with attractive rooms surrounding a courtyard ornamented with ceramics and ferns. The service is…
Mindo
Just on the other side of the River Mindo north of the parque central is this pretty property with an always flowering garden, playful dogs and a swimming…
Northern Highlands
This charmingly rustic lodge is situated on the 60-sq-km Reserva Biológica Maquipucuna, north of Mindo. Guests enjoy great deck views from the hammocks…
Northern Highlands
This lodge is situated in a fantastic, remote reserve of 64 sq km, whose primary forest is contiguous with the Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas…
Northern Highlands
This beautifully crafted lodge rests on a peak with commanding 360-degree views of lush hills and valleys. Lodge rooms are simple but comfortable with…
Northern Highlands
The luxurious lodge at Mashpi perches on a hilltop overlooking the 1000-plus hectares of its privately protected reserve (in cooperation with the nearby…
Northern Highlands
It's worth spending a night or two at this 700-hectare reserve, if only for the jaw-dropping panoramic views from its wooden geodesic dome lodge. There’s…
Northern Highlands
Hacienda Pinsaquí offers a taste of old-world Ecuador, housed as it is in a former colonial textile hacienda. Wooden-beamed ceilings, grand grounds and…
Northern Highlands
This sprawling 1580 hacienda is the oldest in Ecuador. It's been touched up since: it features whitewashed rooms with fireplaces and a sunny courtyard…
Northern Highlands
Go past the hilltop village of Cuellaje to reach this farmhouse with basic cabins or dorm rooms; homestays with local families can also be arranged. There…
Mindo
On the steep hillside descent from the main road and 2km from Mindo proper is this ecologically minded, hidden-away, country-style collection of wooden…
Northern Highlands
The highly recommended reserve operates a three-story bamboo lodge popular with bird-watchers. Relax in a hammock on the terrace, peruse the orchid…
Northern Highlands
This place is a serious bird-watcher’s paradise, with such highlights as the Andean cock-of-the-rock, scaled fruiteater and golden-headed and crested…
Otavalo
Could you feel more secure than in a hostal (small, reasonably priced hotel) above the Red Cross office? This new entry to Otavalo is clean, compact and…
Northern Highlands
Weekenders flock to this classic converted hacienda to enjoy the solar-heated swimming pool and mini-golf. It’s a charming place, with rooms stuffed full…
Mindo
On the road before the Mariposario de Mindo butterfly farm, 2km outside of town, La Roulette's five charming horse-coach-shaped cedar-and-pine rooms,…
Northern Highlands
A more modern choice right next to the Cloud Forest Reserve, these new cabins have flush toilet, ceramic-lined showers and back porches with killer valley…
Mindo
One of Mindo's best-looking buildings, the Dragonfly stands by the bridge at the town entrance. It's spotless and the all-wood rooms have comfy beds; some…
Northern Highlands
Abutting the railroad tracks four long blocks from the Panamericana, Aya Huma looks like a small-town railway station. Rooms are basic but clean, and the…
Northern Highlands
Offers 16 colorful cottages set in rural hills, with cozy rooms furnished in colonial style (older rooms have a neat antechamber and porches). Rent a bike…
Mindo
This Ecuadorian-Chilean place feels small and personal. Pathways wind through wooded gardens to a main lodge and cozy cabins – some have excellent river…
Northern Highlands
This attractive colonial hotel in the heart of town has an idyllic courtyard around which appealing, wood-floored rooms are arranged; the best have…
Northern Highlands
If you’re looking to combine budget accommodation with spectacular scenery, Rose Cottage is a great choice. Three kilometers from town up a steep driveway…
Mindo
This family from the Canary Islands has created a small, luxury space for romantic getaways high in the hills above Mindo. Incredible valley vistas greet…
Mindo
Over a small footbridge, up a dirt drive is this long, narrow property lined with small stone and wood-paneled cabins. The camping area, which has…
Mindo
A-frame cabins set among a lush property feature huge windows opening to the surrounding Mariposario and gardens. There's a convenient deck and comfy…
Northern Highlands
Ex-Buenos Aires and New York resident Jimena Larreguí has changed the former Tierra Sol into a fashionable option along the banks of the Intag. Comfy beds…
Mindo
A handful of well-built cabins surround a pavilion-style bar and restaurant at this place ('Flowers' in Kichwa) a short uphill walk from town toward the…
Northern Highlands
Remodeled and refurbished recently, there are beautiful lagoon and mountain views from three of the six rooms in this brick complex, which also houses a…
Northern Highlands
Up a steep driveway next to the turnoff for the entrance to the waterfall, this pastel-colored tranquil oasis has terra-cotta walls and Spanish-tile roofs…
