Cahuasquí · Imbabura · Ecuador
An island in the sky, built by hand.
Cahuasquí · Imbabura · Ecuador
Escape to
the Andes
Built by hand. Rooted in community. A working coffee farm above the valley, with three cabins and a fig-tree platform.
Book your stay“A very special place to which I look forward to returning.”
“The perfect place for a few weeks of rest and calm.”
“What an amazing place. Our lifestyles changed for the better.”
Cahuasquí is a small farming town in the high Andes of Ecuador, set on a plateau lifted above the surrounding valleys. Two rivers curl around the base like a moat at 7,700 feet, enclosing a quiet world of family farms, steep pastures, and cloud forest.
About the farmBuilt by hand, rooted in community
The purpose
To protect and honor the natural beauty and healing power of the region through sustainable agriculture and conscious eco-travel, while supporting the local Cahuásquí community and helping both the land and its people thrive.
The stay
Everything here carries a human touch that is increasingly rare in modern travel. Nicholas and local artisans handmade the lodges, blending unique influences from around the world with the warmth and character of Ecuadorian craft.
Wander into the valley
The StoryBuilt with love
How a Peace Corps posting in 2006 became a farm, a village family, and three cabins above the valley.
Read the story
The RetreatIsland in the Sky yoga retreat
Five days of yoga, farm-to-table meals and long views over the valley. We run a small number of seats each year, and the price is $749 to $999 per person.
Explore the retreat
The LandA living landscape
Llamas in the garden, harvest mornings, river canyons, waterfalls and páramo lakes — all within a day's walk or drive in the equatorial Andes.
Explore the land
The JourneyGetting here
A three-hour drive from Quito through the high Andes brings you up to the plateau. The road is part of the arrival.
Plan the journeyThe coffee
93 points at 7,700 feet.
The cold slows the cherry down and concentrates its sugars and acids. In 2015 we entered fifty pounds of green coffee from Cahuasquí in a professional competition, and it scored 93 points, tied for the highest score of the event.
Explore the coffee
The table
Have Delicious Fresh Food From Our Farm or the Locals
You eat eggs from the nest boxes, milk from the neighbor's cows, asparagus and avocados from the garden, mushrooms from the forest edge, and long lunches cooked over wood.
See Cahuasquí.
Short films from the valley, covering the cabins, the coffee and the light.
A look at the mesa, the rivers below, and the town we call home.
We are adding more footage. Send us your favorite shot from your stay and we may add it here.
