The name La Alegría (“happiness” in Spanish) hails from a legend: the love spurred between Mount Pasochoa ( “widower” in Kichwa) and Cerro Viudita ( “widower” in Spanish), a mythical affair between nearby mountains that moved the locals to give the valley between them a joyous name…
Everyone who visits knows they’re not ‘guests’, but family friends. Gabriel Espinosa, along with his wife, Patty Dassum, make sure those who walk through their doors feel at home. This tradition began more than a hundred years ago, when Gabriel’s grandparents bought the land.
It wasn’t long before the hacienda came to life. The iconic orange façade has identified it for decades as a special place… the twist here is that in addition to plantations, rural life and livestock, Hacienda La Alegría worships horses, a passion within the family.
One breathes this tradition in each of the ten rooms and exclusive suite, dining room and common rooms of the property; decorations, pictorial works, books, accessories… every corner brings us closer to what lies outside, the experience of connecting with these noble animals…
Horseback riding is an essential par of your experience at La Alegría. Few know the country better than Gabriel on his saddle… He has crossed the entire length and breadth of Ecuador on horseback and few have more prepared horses and a more seamless operation than La Alegría in this respect. The proximity to volcanoes such as Corazón, Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo make these amazing destinations short rides, lasting from a handful of hours to a handful of days.
Your stay in this wonderful hacienda will surely convey the essence of life in the Andes.
Back in the colorful gardens of the hacienda, surrounded by the essence of country life, you can relax at the jacuzzi, enjoy a delicious dinner that brings forth the flavors and homestyle traditions of the Andes… Day in and day out, the house is available for the entire “family”. Reading, relaxing in lounge, perhaps a newfound desire to learn more about the history of this cattle-ranching region and its colonial past or simply letting oneself feel the warmth of rural life, taking you back to the times when “la alegría” came to stay in this hidden valley amid the mountains.
Photo: Murray Cooper
Contacto
Address: Barrio Rumipamba, Alóag.
Phone: +593-99-980-2526 /+593-99-992-0820
E-mail: sales@alegriafarm.com
Facebook: /haciendaalegria
Instagram: @hacienda_la_alegria
Web: www.haciendalaalegria.com
