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Hacienda La Danesa

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Hacienda La Danesa invites guests to enjoy the rural lifestyle of their dairy and cocoa farm on Ecuador's Pacific coastal plain.

Hacienda La Danesa offers a unique Ecuadorian countryside experience to both day visitors and resident guests alike. With a rural location 90 minutes’ drive from Guayaquil, this hacienda, first established in 1870, provides a charming and relaxing environment for a few days of recuperation at the end of a Galapagos cruise or mainland expedition.

Enthusiastically dedicated to a bucolic lifestyle they have established one of the most successful dairy farms in the region, and have now expanded their operations to welcoming visitors, quickly establishing a reputation for their delicious farm-to-table gastronomy. There are just a handful of air-conditioned guest rooms in the grounds, designed with reference to contemporary rustic chic. The team at the hacienda are very hands-on, speaking good English and offering various experiences, such as: cycling; horse riding; river tubing; hiking; milking the cows; and chocolate-making.

What our clients say

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 Jan 2026
Most memorable experiences: Snorkelling with huge sea turtles and iguanas whilst they were feeding with sea lions, penguins and flightless cormorants also coming to join in the party.
LA, London Oct 2015
Avenue of the Volcanoes was superb plus swimming with sea lions and penguins.
JK, Sheffield Feb 2015
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 Jun 2012
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 Jan 2026
Probably the Tren Crucero (was the top experience) but too many highlights to mention.
SB, Cambourne Feb 2020

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Our Expert's Opinion

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.

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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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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!