This is a tiny house with a loft design, dramatic windows, and soaring ceilings. 10min from the North Control of National Park Cotopaxi.
Due to its strategic location in the valley of the volcanoes it provides unmatched 360 degree views of the mountains and night sky.
Isolated and at 3650m on a high flat plain it's within an exclusive and private 19 hectare reserve.
On a clear day there are views of up to 7 volcanos. 4x4 vehicle necessary. Pets Welcome.
The space
Bring a camera or telescope for the expansive views, both day and night, to fully appreciate 3650m in altitude. Dogs and pets are welcome!
As we are recent arrivals to this beautiful place we strive to be as eco friendly as possible keeping in mind to take actions that limit negative impact on the paramo.
We restrict the locals' harvesting of wild berries (Mortinos). Our rabbits love the berries, the hawks love the rabbits. and the Zorro Andinos, who now reside in our little reserve, love both. The small family of white tailed South American Deer make our reserve a home base (we are lucky).
In the Northern Andes "paramo" generally refers to the high altitude vegetation, characterized by tussock bunch grasses, colloquially known as "paja". The paja provides shelter for both flora and fauna--including the Andean Fox (el "zorro andino!").
In recent decades this area has been dominated by the forestry companies or locals for agricultural/ranching purposes. We chose a different path.
Our voluntary land use contract with Ecuador's FONAG administration requires a higher standard of care. This agreement prohibits the introduction or perpetuation of non-native species of flora and/or fauna. We agreed to a prohibition on the use of chemical fertilizers and other pesticides when seeding over 1000 plants from FONAG. Independently, in May 2021, we seeded 500 additional plants and arbustos (all native species) in our gardens.
In April 2021 we introduced 3 bee hives with 3 new queens and > 90,000 worker bees to help with the newest 500 native plants. This is a project with Bee City, a local Quito based family run company. In June we expanded hive capacity to >190,000.
In September 2021 we converted to 100% Solar (with the propane powered generator as backup).
We use a compost toilet and recycle the compost for our gardens and treat our water with gravity and rock assisted methods to remove the very fine volcanic sediment.
We strictly prohibit cattle or other livestock on the reserve. We have carved out 1 hectare for pasture and to limit the number of horses and to date, we have zero of our own horses (we permit temporary hosting of horses for cabalgatas).
With easy access to 4 volcanoes and the Cotopaxi National Park, the entire family can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and even summiting Cotopaxi!
Guides are available for all activities (cost is extra with advance notice and payment is direct and in cash to each separate vendor).
Guest access
Please plan on arriving in a 4x4 vehicle. The tiny house and all of the 19 hectares are for you to explore. The roads are in poor condition and in the dark they can be dangerous for guests and employees. We will not permit our employees to meet late arriving guests beyond the last check in time of 6:00pm. Do not attempt to access the house on the day of your arrival from the Quito airport. Please plan accordingly to arrive by 5:00 pm on day of check in.
NOTE: If you select a private driver that we recommend (or other) be sure to pay in cash and coordinate with us prior to arrival. We are happy to communicate with the driver.
Any issues with your transport remain your concern. We provide the house, it's your job to arrive.
Other things to note
Food: we have full kitchen (every imaginable tool is available--the owner loves cooking--feel lucky ppl..) and there' a new gas powered Char Broil BBQ Grill.
