Hacienda la Compañía, the world of roses near Quito

Tu tourism trip to Quito It will be marked at all times by the very special geographical conditions of the Ecuadorian capital.

On the one hand, its 2.800 meters of altitude, and on the other, its location right on the equator, provide a peculiar climate.

Did you know that as a consequence Ecuador is the country in the world with best conditions for rose production?

The twelve hours of sunlight and the mild temperature, conditions that are maintained throughout the year, make this country an ideal place for said production.

Furthermore, its rich volcanic terrain completes these good characteristics and differentiates Ecuador from other possible competing countries such as Kenya, where they also do not have as much humidity.

Hacienda Compañía de Jesús

I was able to discover all this during the interesting visit to the Hacienda la Compañía de Jesús, one hour from Quito on the route that will take you to the famous Otavalo craft market.

This hacienda has been open to tourists for a few years now. In it you will see, on the one hand, the French neoclassical style house, which is still the family residence of the owners of the hacienda.

And on the other hand, you will learn various curiosities about the production of roses in Ecuador by visiting the plantation and a beautiful exhibition of these flowers.

The origins of Hacienda la Compañía de Jesús They date back to the time of the Jesuits who arrived in Ecuador, who built it.

After the Jesuits were expelled by the King Charles I Of all the Spanish lands where they were, the house was purchased in 1767 by the family of the current owners. And currently it is the sixth generation.

The hacienda was dedicated to agriculture and livestock, and as a curiosity, I will tell you that this family was the one that imported the first cow to Ecuador. Holstein. or friesian cow, the typical one with white and black skin from Germany and Holland.

For its part, the house you are going to visit was built about a hundred years ago. In it you will be able to tour the ground floor where you will see a cozy decoration characteristic of the time, with furniture from Europe and wallpapered walls.

But above all, the beautiful rose centers, an appetizer of what you will see later.

After having breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of your visit, you will be able to see the 17th century chapel, witness to the presence of the Jesuits.

The sculptures on the altar have been made by Quito School of Arts, and one of them is dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesus company.

Roses from Ecuador

In front of the chapel is the old barn, a building that now houses a spectacular exhibition of up to 70 varieties of roses that are produced in the Treasury of the Company of Jesus.

The great color of the roses combined with the rural architecture decoration make up a truly attractive scene.

Finally, you will complete the visit by touring part of the rose plantations, and if it is a work schedule (it was not our case), seeing how they work them.

There you discover that Ecuador has been producing and exporting roses around the world for about 25 years, and currently there are about 400 different varieties.

Is ornamental roses of which, currently, Ecuador is, by volume, the second world producer after Colombia and ahead of Holland.

Depending on the destination markets, a different type of rose is produced. Thus, in Europe they like roses with long stems and small flower sizes, quite the opposite of the United States, with short stems and large flowers.

And in the case of Russia, the main destination country in recent times, they want roses with long stems and large flowers. Roses are sent with a stem up to 1,80 meters!

For export, the roses, after being cut, are kept cold, so that the flower does not open. Then they enter Europe through the port of Amsterdam, and when the customer buys them, they cut the stem a little and put it in new water, and the flower opens.

Roses in this way should last about 15 days, cutting the stem and changing the water every day.

Finally, as a curiosity, I will tell you that a package of these beautiful roses, if you buy them in Ecuador, will cost you…two dollars. It's worth enjoying roses during your trip, don't you think?

Photos Hacienda la Compañía de Jesús

Here you have more photos from the visit to the Hacienda la Compañía de Jesús near Quito.