Refugio Terra Esperanza

Stayed nearly a month—felt like family. Three-building mountain hideaway with a legit, well-equipped kitchen and sunrise views that stop you in your tracks. Emerson took me on morning runs and shared coffee at night; his sister María helped with everything, always. I came for a 2-day dance event and happily extended to reset. Flat road for runs, dreamy hikes toward Imbabura/Cubilche, and a 35¢ bus to town. The village has panaderías/pastelerías and tiny shops that make daily life easy. Per...

C’est l’une des plus belles auberges où j’ai séjourné dans ma vie. Il faut apprécier le côté rustique, authentique et les soirées au coin du feu. Emerson est un hôte exceptionnel, qui prend soin de vous comme si vous faisiez partie de sa famille. Je recommande vivement de gravir l’Imbabura avec lui : c’est un excellent guide, toujours motivant et capable de partager de précieux conseils sur la montagne. J’ai passé trois jours inoubliables à ses côtés, avec des paysages �...

I had a lovely atay at refugio. The owner is very helpfull and had some nice hiking advice. At the evening received a great dinner from the chef whos restaurant is at the hostel. And later one I had an great talk with the owner with a delicious thea. I recommend it as the town Esperanza is a must see also

I had an amazing stay at this hostel, even though I was sick during my time there. The staff went above and beyond to take care of me, always checking in and making sure I had everything I needed. Their kindness and support made such a difference, and I felt truly cared for. I highly recommend this place, not just for the accommodation, but for the incredible people who work here. Thank you so much for everything!

Un hostel très bien placé pour si vous souhaitez monter au volcan Imbabura. Il se situe au pied du volcan, tout en restant proche de la ville d'Ibarra (15 min en bus). Emerson est un hôte vraiment génial, très sympa et disponible. Étant guide en montagne il saura vous donner plein de conseils en randonnée. Je suis vraiment très satisfait de mon séjour au Refugio Terra Esperanza, je recommande à 200%.

A very chill hostel located just outside Ibarra, right next to Imbabura and Cubilche mountains. The owner Emerson is super friendly and knowledgeable about the area, I really enjoyed talking to him. Overall, this felt more like staying at someone’s house than a hostel. Other guests had been staying there for weeks. One thing is that this definitely wasn’t the cleanest place. The beds are clean, but the kitchen and bathroom could use a bit more cleaning for sure.

A perfect place to stay for all kind of mountain activity. For hiking up Imbabura or exploring all the beautiful locations around. Emerson is a trielt lovely host, has always great recommendations and helps with organizing any trip and even getting a taxi up to the start of the Imbabura hike in the middle of the night!

Feels like a mix of Hostel and Couchsurfing! Emerson is an amazing host and will help you with your needs about trekking and anything else! I first thought it's a bit weird to be outside of the city, but it's honestly way better this way. There are a lot of busses to Ibarra and the bus with transfer to Quito is also passing right in front of the hostel. So please consider taking a stop here for the great Imbabura volcano or any other hike :)

A very good place to stay if you want up to the summit Imbabura. Emerson the host is great und very friendly and helpful in any way. We liked it to stay there

We had a positive experience at Refugio Terra Esperanza. Emerson was kind and welcoming. He helped us connect with a camionetta driver who took us up to the Imbabura trail head early in the morning. Would recommend!

Ideal location if you want to climb the Imbabura volcan early in the morning. Emerson gave us all the good tips for the hike and arranged transportation from the hostel to the start of path.

Great place to chill out. The views are incredible. Emerson is really friendly and made the stay very welcoming. Bed was very comfy. Although a little way out of the centre of Ibarra, I recommend this hostel highly!

This is a lovely stay, slightly outside of Ibarra (which is nice to be out of the city and in the hills) - more of a home stay feel and Emerson, the host is so kind and helpful and friendly - he helped us organise our day trips to surrounding hikes (Cubilche is beautiful) and also food recommendations nearby. Breakfast is offered for a small extra fee. The views out the back are beautiful and we had a lovely bonfire out there one night. The cutest doggos. We loved our stay here

was a great stay, host was extremely nice and easygoing. very close to the hiking trail to volcan and that was a plus, there are plenty of truck taxi to the beginning of the trail. the property has a very good viewpoint at the back of the hostel, but require the host to open for you. there are bus to reach here from the central but might be tricky for someone who dont speak spanish.

Really enjoyed my stay here. Made to feel at home the entire time and enjoyed the company of the host and other guests. You must go for a walk in the fields behind the hostel. Very peaceful. Make sure you take coco with as your guide!

Emerson is a great host, friend, and comrade in this life. I felt very comfortable in my Pitt stop there, he helped me to feel safe and connected in all my time there. The hostal is in a nice quiet location away from the city and close to the mountains. Perfect for adventurers, and for people who want to know local culture. I highly recommend staying there! Very reasonable price for all that is included. I will definitely return

It's a very cosy hostel with a great kitchen. The stuff is super friendly and knows a lot of stuff. The area is a bit off from Ibarra but beats everything with a great view and fresh air.

La reserva la hicimos por dos camas y cuando llegamos la habitación solo tenia una,. , en la descripción ofrece parqueadero y no tiene, nos toco pagar uno aparte en una casa cercana, el señor nos atendió muy amable, pero no fue eso lo que habíamos reservado y terminamos pagando mas. fuimos bien atendidos pero el costo resulto mayor al pactado en la reserva, alguno detalles que mejorar, pero en general fue una buena experiencia.