Imagine visiting a Spanish Colonial hacienda in the Sacred Valley and having lunch hosted by the owners who love orchids, food, horses and collect Peruvian archaeology and folk art. This is Hacienda Huayoccari, owned by the Lambarri-Orihuela Family and conveniently located between Pisac and Urubamba. Stepping Back in Time: Hacienda Huayoccari Since the 17th Century, Hacienda Huayoccari was producing white corn, the most precious of the Inca crops and the one responsible for the expansion of the area and the wealth of many of these haciendas that had thousands of hectares. After the agrarian reform in 1968. Huayoccari was reduced to 40 hectares but was able to remain with the family thanks to the harmonious relationships developed with the surrounding community. In fact, the hacienda and the restaurant employ community members who have been with the family for generations. Celebrate with special hosts After being warmly greeted by Jose Ignacio Lambarri our host an old friend of Aracari the afternoon kicks off with a few pisco sours, Peru’s national drink, and a show of Peruvian Paso Horses known for their unique lateral gait, fancy foot movements and their performing nature. The rhythmical dance blends in perfectly with La Marinera, a couple’s tale that tells the story of a soldier flirting with a young woman. The couple and the horse dance mimicking each other’s gestures and steps. Lunch is served at the colonial dining room surrounded by the family’s personal collection of paintings, carved wood pieces, glazed pottery plates from Lake Titicaca, Toritos of Pucará, colonial saints, silver pieces and gorgeous furniture. The menu is a well curated selection of Peruvian homemade food using ingredients grown in their own chacra, the Andean garden. Classic dishes such as ají de gallina, chicken stew; lomo saltado, stir-fried loin; or the sara lawa, a
Imagine visiting a Spanish Colonial hacienda in the Sacred Valley and having lunch hosted by the owners who love orchids, food, horses and collect Peruvian archaeology and folk art. This is Hacienda Huayoccari, owned by the Lambarri-Orihuela Family and conveniently located between Pisac and Urubamba. Stepping Back in Time: Hacienda…
In this story we want to explain Inca Trail alternatives we have explored. A way to tell you our adventure firsthand. Let's go! One of the great joys of my job is that I get to travel with my sixteen year-old son. This time the journey was a full three-day, two-night camping trek exploring a new potential route that could be an alternative route to the Inca Trail. My son and I, joined by four Aracari colleagues: Marcella, Liz, Alexandra and Mark, met the team composed of our guide Sergio; Jessica and Monica who were in charge of the kitchen; Renato and his horse; and a team of seven strong men who were the muleteers ready to carry our personal luggage and all the equipment needed for such an adventure. The meeting point was the Qamicancha community by the Silke River, not far from Ollantaytambo north of Cusco. Our destination: some the beautiful Andean lakes and mountains with altitudes as high as 4650m/15255ft above sea level. Aracari’s Alternative to the Inca Trail One of the most scenic and beautiful treks to Machu Picchu DAY 1 started with a light walk through the agricultural fields of the nearby communities starting to climb a few hills where we were delighted to see the first bromeliads, wild orchids and native flora and water, water everywhere coming from very high in the mountains. After hours of beautiful changing landscapes, we reached the first clearing where we had our first meal of the trip. Lunch was served beautifully in a tent that had been set up for us. We were greeted with a hot towel to clean our hands and the very much needed mate the coca, the Inca’s traditional drink to cope with the altitude. After the hearty delicious hot lunch, we had a few more hours until
In this story we want to explain Inca Trail alternatives we have explored. A way to tell you our adventure firsthand. Let’s go! One of the great joys of my job is that I get to travel with my sixteen year-old son. This time the journey was a full three-day, two-night…
This time in August 2019 I will be leading Aracari’s second Founder trip, a group trip to Northern Peru. Founder trips are generally the opportunity to showcase the best kept secrets and some of the less known areas in the Andes as well connect to people and their stories the way Aracari knows how to do best. 2019 Northern Peru group trip We will be embarking on a journey to some of the most interesting and lesser-known destinations in northern Peru, an area of numerous and varied attractions, both natural and man-made. The pre-Inca archaeological site of Caral, dating back to before 2000 B.C and the seat of the oldest civilization in the Americas; the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain range in the world with numerous snowcapped peaks over 5000 metres (16,404ft) —including Huascaran, Peru’s highest mountain—, and Gocta, one of the world’s tallest waterfalls nestled in the cloud forest of Chachapoyas, are part of the list. Friends of the Aracari family, archaeologists, naturalists and lodge owners, will host us and tell us their untapped secrets. And of course along the way we will be tasting the highlights of one of Peru’s hubs of culinary delights. Connecting with Peruvian Pre-Columbian Cultures We will start our journey overland from Lima and travel 182 km (113mi) to the Supe Valley along the desert coast until we reach Caral. From Caral, which lies at sea level, we leave the desert behind and drive 326 km (202mi) towards the Andes where we will spend three nights in two lovely mountain Lodges, owned by our friends Charlie and Mariana Good. On the way to the Cordillera, we will spend a few hours visiting Chavin de Huantar (1200 BC), the most ancient and interesting pre-Columbian holy pilgrimage site in the Andes. From the high mountains we will take
This time in August 2019 I will be leading Aracari’s second Founder trip, a group trip to Northern Peru. Founder trips are generally the opportunity to showcase the best kept secrets and some of the less known areas in the Andes as well connect to people and their stories the…
TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards have recently released the 2018 list of the top museums in the world. Lima’s Museo Larco has been recognized as the best museum in South America and one of the twenty best in the world. Aracari spoke with Andres Alvaréz Calderón, the president of Museo Larco, about the meaning of this recognition and the challenges ahead. “This seal of excellence makes us review our entire system to make sure we deliver an experience that fits the expectation of thousands of TripAdvisor readers who in many cases plan their Peru trips around a visit to the Museum, named the third tourist attraction in Peru after Machu Picchu and Cusco’s historic center." About Museo Larco: The Best Museum in South America Museo Larco was founded in 1926 by archaeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle. Its focus is on ancient Peru, exhibiting a collection of 45,000 pieces and 5000 years of history. The Museum occupies an old mansion from the 18th century that was built on top of a pre-Columbian pyramid from the 7th century. Museo Larco is specially known for its erotic pottery collection, its open archives and exquisite gardens. “Museums are built to keep the best of humanity for the rest of humanity. This is why the preservation of our collections is as crucial as the continuous research and communication around them. Each piece contains information that is of extreme value for humanity”, affirms Alvarez Calderon. “A Museum would not be anything without the public and this recognition is the proof of that. This is why we are very focused on experiences that merge the past with the present through the five senses expressed, aside from our collection, in beautiful gardens and world-class delicious Peruvian food.” Connecting with the Past “If there is one crucial aspect of the Museo Larco
TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards have recently released the 2018 list of the top museums in the world. Lima’s Museo Larco has been recognized as the best museum in South America and one of the twenty best in the world. Aracari spoke with Andres Alvaréz Calderón, the president of Museo Larco, about…
Emily Shaw has created two holistic programs for 2019 that combine the best detox practices with plant-based kitchen skills using Peruvian ingredients and super foods such as coca leaves and powder, quinoa, kiwicha, maca, lucuma and corn, among many others. A chic beach retreat takes place in boutique hotel KiChic in Mancora, on Peru's Northern coast, from June 21-28 2019. Later in the year, board a luxury river cruise with Delfin Amazon Cruises for a jungle retreat from October 6-13 2019. Luxury Peru holistic retreat Emily lived in Lima from 2006 until 2014. In 2011, she went to India to study the Ayurvedic system of Panchakarma, the oldest known system of detoxification. Upon her return she created a 7-day home detox programme with this new knowledge and all the amazing healing ingredients she had been working with and learning about from the Peruvian Amazon. “Peru is one of the most diverse countries I have ever been to and is extraordinarily rich in natural medicine and culture,” affirms Emily, whose brand Amaveda is the fusion between Amazonia and Ayurveda. Transformational Travel with Emily Shaw of Amaveda Emily has a culinary background and a lot of experience moving around Peru and connecting with the local culture, “Every place I went, I would start at the local market exploring unknown foods and medicine. I love to discover regional plants and their benefits for the people within that region. For example, when I first started spending time in the jungle I would always see the young girls eating this bright orange, almost neon coloured fruit. I then learned that this is aguaje, a palm fruit that hosts an extremely high amount of beta-carotene and produces a very rare and remarkable cosmetic oil. Beta-carotene and its breakdown Retinol (Vitamin A) are two of the most important antioxidants known to
Emily Shaw has created two holistic programs for 2019 that combine the best detox practices with plant-based kitchen skills using Peruvian ingredients and super foods such as coca leaves and powder, quinoa, kiwicha, maca, lucuma and corn, among many others. A chic beach retreat takes place in boutique hotel KiChic…
Hacienda La Caravedo Imagine getting to the heart of Pisco, Peru’s national drink? Four hours south of Lima is Ica, a fertile land where succulent grapes are distilled to produce Pisco at Hacienda La Caravedo, one of the top places to stay in the area. The oldest working distillery in the Americas 48 hectares of green vineyards in the middle of Peru’s coastal desert surround the hacienda and the oldest working distillery in the Americas founded in 1684. Master Distiller Johnny Schuler developed the signature drinks named after the hacienda: La Caravedo Torontel and La Caravedo Quebranta. Every bottle is made with eight pounds of only the finest, estate-grown, single expression grapes. The spirit is distilled to 8o proof and is unaged, unaltered, and made with no additional flavors or additives– not even water. It is rested in concrete containers for a minimum of six months to allow the flavors and aromas to reach their peak before bottling. The tour of the distillery includes experiencing a gravity-fed distillation to gently extract the flavor of the grapes, a wooden usillo to press the grapes, and a state-of-the-art facility using small batch copper pot stills dedicated to environmental stewardship. Luxury Bungalow Accommodation at Hacienda La Caravedo The hacienda’s warm hospitality, five luxurious bungalows equipped with a private terrace and a kitchenette and a pool amidst spectacular gardens, are the perfect set up for an authentic experience around the traditions of the Southern Coast of Peru, a place usually known only for the Nazca lines, Paracas National Reserve and Ballestas Islands. Central to this tradition is the Peruvian Paso Horse Show where traditional music offers the background while horses appear attired in fine handmade leather decorations ridden by ‘chalans’ elegantly dressed in impeccable white linen, wide brimmed straw hats and white ponchos. The spectacle
Hacienda La Caravedo Imagine getting to the heart of Pisco, Peru’s national drink? Four hours south of Lima is Ica, a fertile land where succulent grapes are distilled to produce Pisco at Hacienda La Caravedo, one of the top places to stay in the area. The oldest working distillery in…
