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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

  • Highlights:- “Quito celebrating their anniversary of independence. All the Haciendas we visited were full of history and interesting in different ways .Las Cajas and getting up into the high Andes…

    GW, Truro Dec 2010
  • Quito is a fabulous city with residents that seem to be pleased to see you, really helpful if you make just a little effort to address them in Spanish. Ecuador…

    DW, Lingfield Jun 2010
  • Ecuador is a wonderful country with much to see and do so often overlooked by those seeking to visit South America and that I now know is a big mistake. 

    DW, Lingfield Jun 2010
  • Ecuador was a fantastic adventure: welcoming friendly people, beautiful landscapes and amazing wildlife. To fit in two cities, the Andes, the Amazon, the cloud forest and the Galapagos islands into…

    GE, Glasgow May 2026
  • 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
  • Highlight?: Galapagos Islands

    RN, London Nov 2016
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Our Expert's Opinion

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.

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Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • 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.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • 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.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • 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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