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Hostal Mama Hilda

Hostel Mama Hilda

Mama Hilda is a cosy countryside guesthouse suitable for walkers in the Ecuadorian Andes which offers a friendly welcome in a family atmosphere.

Hostal Situated in Chugchilan, which is the oldest settlement in the area and home to only 30 full time residents, Mama Hilda is a modest hostel where walkers and other visitors to this peaceful countryside will be met with an authentic and friendly welcome.

The rooms are basic in terms of décor and amenities but cosy, with some having an open fireplace.  Food is home-cooked and served in a communal dining room, with most dishes created on the premises: fresh pasta and desserts are provided by the Italian monastery just down the road.

A separate building on the property has been refurbished with locally crafted furnishings as a spacious bar/lounge with cable TV and a reading room with expansive views of the valley.  Part of the hostel’s charm is that it is family-run: only a little English is spoken but the service is warm.

Bartolome, Galápagos

What our clients say

  • Avenue of the Volcanoes was superb plus swimming with sea lions and penguins.

    JK, Sheffield Feb 2015
  • The Galapagos was as expected beautiful and interesting but we were pleasantly surprised by the visits to the rose plantation and panama hat factory which turned out far more interesting…

    MW, London Jan 2019
  • Ecuador Highlights: Seeing hummingbirds & humpback whales, summiting the Pasochoa peak with Kristian, Quilotoa Volcano Lake, Quito cable car ride, the Las Cajas Park walks with Wilson. 

    PJR Aug 2011
  • Highlight?: Galapagos Islands

    RN, London Nov 2016
  • We had a wonderful time… we thought the guides we had were among the best we have known anywhere; we went for the Galápagos and would admit to mainland Ecuador…

    PW, Lambeth Jul 2026
  • Most memorable experiences: Galapagos snorkeling at Devils Crown and the inland lagoon; walk on Fernandina; mountain bikes and trek at Cotopaxi.

    JG, Sevenoaks Aug 2015
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Our Expert's Opinion

Hannah
Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

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