Waking up in Hacienda Piman, listening to the birds singing in the surrounding valley, or standing on the veranda with the early morning sun on your face, you’ll feel completely at peace. The worn tiled roofs, white walls and balustrade-lined verandas echo the style of the colonial period and seem completely comfortable, nestled amongst the dark greens and towering trees of this Andean valley.

Surprising, then, that the city of Ibarra – state capital of Imbabura Province – is just a few kilometres away along the old Pan American Highway. There’s even more of a surprise at El Chota – an Afro-Ecuadorian community offering lively bomba music and dance. If you want to explore the cultural heritage of the Northern Andes, make Hacienda Piman part of your tailor-made holiday to Ecuador.