The Black Sheep Inn

The Black Sheep Inn is a rustic and award-winning ecolodge situated at 3200m in the Ecuadorian Andes, just outside the village of Chugchilan. Chugchilán is located well off the beaten track, four to five hours from Quito and three hours off the Pan-American Highway on spectacular winding roads. The charm of the Black Sheep Inn is in its size with just nine private double rooms the hotel is small and catered to individuals needs.

The chalet-style lodge, perched on a hillside, is surrounded by spectacular Andean scenery and opportunities for the active traveller abound with hikes, mountain biking and horse riding. Hikes range from half hour trails to full day hikes at altitudes of between 2,500m and 3,800m. Perhaps the most spectacular hike is to Laguna Quiltoa, a well-marked trail through the Rio Toachi Canyon to a 1¼ mile emerald crater lake located at 3800m. Other trails lead along the River Toachi, to the Chugchilan cheese factory, or to Andean Humid Forest. Local guides are available at the Black Sheep Inn if required.

Most hikes can also be experienced on horseback or by mountain bike.

Five of the rooms are en-suite with composting toilets and 4 have hot showers and composting toilets located outside. Most rooms have woodstove fireplaces.

There are personal touches all over the place – enjoy home-baked chocolate brownies, banana bread and oatmeal cookies and always complimentary tea and coffee. At the Black Sheep Inn you can relax around the woodstove fireplaces. Served in the restaurant are gourmet vegetarian meals, and after a long hike leave your tensions behind in the sauna. 

Vegetarian meals prepared with organic produce from the lodge gardens are served for dinner around a family-style large table. A typical dinner menu might include Eggplant Parmesan (beer battered eggplant, homemade tomato sauce and local mozzarella cheese), herbed garlic mashed potatoes and a fresh garden salad with a red wine vinaigrette. Dinner is served family-style in the lodge, around a large table and second helpings are always encouraged! You will certainly be part of the family at the Black Sheep Inn.