Hacienda El Castillo
In the 1930s, the German aviator Ludwig Weber von Wagenfüer arrived in Ecuador. He married one of the daughters of Don Evangelista Calero Gaybor, who at the time owned the largest shoe manufacturing business in the country. In the mid-20th century, von Wagenfüer acquired a vast rural property near the San Isidro area and built an impressive country house there that soon became known as El Castillo de Cerecita.
Located on one of the highest hills in the region, the estate became the perfect retreat for the “Count” — as he liked to call himself — thanks to its natural beauty, privileged climate, absolute peace, and strategic location. During World War II, due to his past as a German aviation hero in World War I, he was detained on suspicion of espionage and deported to the Crystal City internment camp in the United States. After returning to Ecuador, he spent the rest of his days in the serene tranquility of El Castillo.
By the late 1980s, a family with several generations of cacao-growing tradition acquired part of those lands, including the ruins of the Count’s legendary house. More than 25 years ago, they began planting fine-aroma cacao, becoming pioneers in the area with the introduction and cultivation of the Don Homero variety.
Today, Hacienda El Castillo is much more than a plantation: it is the continuation of a unique story, a place where tradition, nature, and cacao excellence come together.