From farm kitchens to quiet Pacific shores
When to go
December-May
Trip length
9 days / 8 nights
Typical investmentPrice
from $3,800 pp
From fertile lowland estates to the open edge of the Pacific, this 8-night journey reveals Ecuador's warmer, slower side. Begin with food, farming, and family heritage at a working hacienda, then unwind along a quiet stretch of coast where design, wellness, and sea air set the pace. Private dining moments, unhurried days, and thoughtful transitions shape a journey rooted in place and ease.
Along the way
Share candlelit dinners and a private beach bonfire by the sea
Cook with estate-grown ingredients in a private kitchen setting
Snorkel the Pacific coast and visit Playa de los Frailes
Ride horseback across a working lowland hacienda
Your route
Gardens, heritage & arrival
Arrive on Ecuador's Pacific coast and transfer privately to your hotel. Settle in among gardens or historic streets, easing into the rhythm of the journey with a relaxed evening after travel.
Farmland, horses & open kitchens
Leave the city behind and travel inland to Hacienda La Danesa. Palm-lined roads and open farmland replace traffic and noise as you arrive at the estate. The afternoon is free to wander the grounds, swim, or simply take in the slower pace.
Explore the hacienda on horseback, riding through fields, trails, and riverbanks that shape daily life here. Later, join a hands-on farm-to-table cooking experience, working with estate ingredients and local recipes.
A quiet morning to enjoy the gardens, pool, or shaded verandas. That evening, sit down to a private candlelit dinner on the estate, where familiar ingredients are re-imagined in a more intimate setting.
Salt air & stillness
Travel west toward the Pacific, where farmland gives way to dry forest and open shoreline. Arrive at your coastal retreat and settle into your villa, with the rest of the day left open to the sea breeze and sound of waves.
Head out for a snorkeling excursion along the coast, then return for an afternoon designed around rest. Enjoy a couples massage followed by time in a private jacuzzi as the day slows.
Visit Playa de los Frailes, one of Ecuador's most striking beaches, backed by protected headlands and clear water. Return in time for a private beach bonfire and an intimate seaside dinner as the sun fades.
Leave this full day open for the beach, the pool, or a coastal outing chosen around conditions. Spend one more evening by the Pacific before tomorrow's departure.
A final morning by the sea before transferring for your onward flight, carrying the quieter rhythm of Ecuador's Pacific side with you.
Let's discover your next adventure
Our top picks
Hotel del Parque places 44 rooms inside a restored 19th-century building surrounded by the botanical gardens of Parque Histórico Guayaquil. Courtyards, a former chapel, riverfront dining, and tropical grounds create a calm alternative to a conventional airport or business hotel.
Hacienda La Danesa is a 500-hectare working cacao and dairy farm just over an hour from Guayaquil. Five cottage and stable accommodations, two private residences, a seasonal restaurant, horseback riding, tree-to-bar chocolate workshops, and river activities create a distinctive mainland stop before or after the Galápagos.
The on-site restaurant Bocavaldivia is run by chef Rodrigo Pacheco, trained under Alain Ducasse, built around a farm-to-table, pre-Hispanic Manabí culinary program that is unusual for a coastal property this size. It is small and set apart from the nearest airport by over an hour on the road, and some guests note premium pricing relative to breakfast inclusions and service during busier periods.
Keep exploring
Let’s start planning
Tell us a little about your plans. We’ll be in touch to talk through this trip with you.
