Quito is a common stopover point en route to the Galapagos Islands, but the city itself also has a lot to offer. When searching for a place to stay in Quito before or after your Galapagos adventure, there is no need to sacrifice luxury. The city has many incredible options ,but one of my favorites is Casa Gangotena, which offers the perfect blend of classic cosmopolitan luxury and Ecuadorian culture. When in opened, Conde Nast Traveler listed Casa Cangotena on its 2012 Hot List as a fantastic new accommodation, and it certainly lives up to that reputation. The Casa Gangotena is Quito’s top hotel, located overlooking the quiet Plaza San Francisco about 3 blocks from the Plaza Grande. I admittedly had previously thought that the hotel was in Plaza Grande, but it is still easy to find and within walking distance to the center of the city. The building’s white facade is crisp and modern with a hint of colonial panache in the detailing. Inside is spacious and light in comparison to many of the historical hotels in the city, which tend to suffer from perpetual stuffiness. The hotels 31 rooms are beautifully appointed, with light-colored décor, large windows, and bathrooms featuring separate showers and bathtubs. Plus, all were equipped with luxurious L’Occitane amenities, rather than generic hotel branded soaps. Casa Gangotena’s public areas include a rooftop terrace, a spacious lounge, and garden. Guests can sit in these lovely open spaces and enjoy complimentary tea, served daily. The roof overlooks the Plaza San Francisco, a charming little square bustling with the happenings of daily Quito life. There is an elegant on-site restaurant, Cedrón, inspired by Ecuador’s diverse flavors from the highlands to the coast. Casa Gangotena is the best choice for clients looking for sheer luxury with a splash of Ecuadorian culture
Quito is a common stopover point en route to the Galapagos Islands, but the city itself also has a lot to offer. When searching for a place to stay in Quito before or after your Galapagos adventure, there is no need to sacrifice luxury. The city has many incredible options…
I visited Cusco and its surrounding areas for the first time in November with my friend from college. Like many travelers, we immediately fell in love with the region, and as soon as we returned, our friends started prodding us, "What was your favorite part? Was Machu Picchu as spectacular as the photographs?" I can say definitively that Machu Picchu does live up to its National Geographic reputation, but visiting the Incan citadel was perhaps suprisingly not my favorite part of the trip. Rather, the experience I will never forget is the mountain biking Sacred Valley day long experience we had with Aracari travel. My Mountain Biking Sacred Valley Experience We embarked from Cusco around 9 AM en route to the Sacred Valley. My friend and I had already purchased the multi-site passes to the ruins around Cusco, so we asked if we could visit some of the smaller complexes as we passed by. The guides were very flexible with our requests, and they were excited to tell us all about the theories surrounding the ruins of Q’enqo and Pukapukara. Our first official stop was the Pisac Market, where we scurried through the colorful stalls picking up trinkets to remember our trip. Luckily, we're savvy navigators -- the market is absolutely labyrinthine! Cycling from Pisac The cycling adventure started in a small plaza by the town of Pisac. For an amateur cyclist like me, the bikes took some getting used to. Our guide gave us a quick and comprehensive tutorial on the gears, and before long we were on our way. We hurtled through the town amongst the dogs, cars, and pedestrians scattered about winding dirt roads. But once we were in the valley, it was smooth sailing. There were a few steep uphill climbs, but nothing unmanageable. The Sacred Valley
I visited Cusco and its surrounding areas for the first time in November with my friend from college. Like many travelers, we immediately fell in love with the region, and as soon as we returned, our friends started prodding us, “What was your favorite part? Was Machu Picchu as spectacular…
Every January 6, Peruvians celebrate Bajada Reyes to conmemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men to the Nativity and the gifts they brought to the newborn baby Jesus from the East shortly after his birth. When Francisco Pizarro founded Lima, he baptized it with the name "City of Kings" because its founding coincided with the day the Three Wise Men set out for Bethlehem, which he viewed as similar to the way he and his crew of conquistadors set out for the colonial capital. In present-day Lima, the holiday is usually celebrated with family and friends. But the highlight is at the Plaza de Armas, when three policemen from the Lima police department dress up like the Three Wise Men and ride horses to a Nativity scene located either at the side of the Plaza or in the balcony of the Palacio Municipal. The tradition has been going on for about 25 years, and at the end of the day, there is a small celebration in the Plaza as the Nativity scene is packed away. In the legend, the kings brought gifts like sweets, clothing, and coal, but now the "gifts" are mainly financial. The celebration of Bajada de Reyes is more spectacular in Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. The traditional folk festival includes not only the people from the town of Ollantaytambo, but also the people in the surrounding highlands and the Patacancha Valley (and, of course, curious tourists passing through). The official procession begins as two effigies of town's children are given to the Baby Jesus of Maracocha, a serious affair that is liven up with music and traditional dancing. The festivities are filled with delicious frutillada, a delightful fruity drink, and huallata, an Ollantaytamban folk dance that is meant to resemble the mating ritual of the Andean
Every January 6, Peruvians celebrate Bajada Reyes to conmemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men to the Nativity and the gifts they brought to the newborn baby Jesus from the East shortly after his birth. When Francisco Pizarro founded Lima, he baptized it with the name “City of Kings” because…
Some countries have one or two New Year's Eve traditions, but New Year's in Peru has traditions a dime a dozen. The night before welcoming the New Year, Peruvians stock up on champagne, flowers, and...potatoes? All the traditions are meant to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. Here's a list of our favorite New Years in Peru traditions -- try some of them out to bring luck for next year! New Years in Peru: Traditions Peruvians place three potatoes under a chair or sofa-- one peeled, one half-peeled and one unpeeled. At midnight, one potato is chosen at random, which forecasts the state of next year’s finances. The peeled potato signifies bad financial fortune, half-peeled signifies a normal year, and unpeeled signifies a great bounty in the year ahead. Wearing new clothes in specific colors signify your desires for the upcoming year: yellow for luck and happiness (the most popular), green for money, red for love, and white for health or fertility. Yellow (particularly underpants) are especially popular in Lima. Sprinkling rice around the house is supposed to bring money, luck, and fertility. Keep your hands out of your pockets! Your Peruvian friends will be filling them with lentils, wheat, and cinnamon to bring you money, prosperity, and love, respectively, for the next year. But don't forget to empty your pockets the next morning -- you need to keep these common kitchen ingredients safe all year round to secure your good fortune. Writing down five wishes and dipping each in a glass of champagne is supposed to make them come true. Some people visit shamans in Northern Peru to ward off all the evil spirits by spraying their naked clients with chamomile bath...from their mouths! Throwing twelve coins or cents over your shoulder into the street represents throwing out the poverty
Some countries have one or two New Year’s Eve traditions, but New Year’s in Peru has traditions a dime a dozen. The night before welcoming the New Year, Peruvians stock up on champagne, flowers, and…potatoes? All the traditions are meant to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. Here’s a list of…
The days before Christmas in Cusco are filled with equal parts excitement, holiday cheer...and crafts projects! Santuranticuy Cusco Christmas Market, one of the largest arts and crafts fairs in Peru, is a temporary Christmas market that takes place every year in the Plaza de Armas. Local Festivals in Peru: Santuranticuy Cusco Christmas Market In years prior the event was only held on December 24, but this year the fair will be held on December 23 as well. The market attracts artists from the neighborhood of San Blas in Cusco with those from the South of Peru, particularly Pucará and Quinua. View Aracari's free Festival Calendar. The name "Santuranticuy" translates to "saints for sale," which is fitting given that its primary function is for sculptors and craftsmen sell diverse figurines to brighten holiday displays. By tradition, the people of Cusco make their own nativity scenes for their homes and parishes. Santuranticuy Christmas Market serves as the crafts store for these annual DIY projects. Cusqueños come to buy the raw materials, from moss for the grass to figurines of the most popular characters in the nativity scene. The most renowned and popular figurines are the various “Niños Manuelitos,” the Andean version of baby Jesus. The event has risen to more prominence since its humble origins. In 1937, the American Institute of Arts even began selecting the best displays and giving out awards to promote the sale of the show. Santuranticuy is a spectacle for shoppers and visitors alike. There are a number of non-crafts items available for sale, including a traditional Andean handicraft known as retablos, or carved wooden boxes featuring a religious or historical scene. The Andean rainy season is not quite as chilly as a snowy white Christmas, but vendors still sell delightful Christmas sweets and traditional hot, sweet rum punch, the Peruvian answer to hot chocolate with marshmallows. And,
The days before Christmas in Cusco are filled with equal parts excitement, holiday cheer…and crafts projects! Santuranticuy Cusco Christmas Market, one of the largest arts and crafts fairs in Peru, is a temporary Christmas market that takes place every year in the Plaza de Armas. Local Festivals in Peru: Santuranticuy Cusco Christmas Market…
Peruvian gift ideas If you’re living in or traveling to Peru for Christmas, these Peruvian gift ideas will make for a great way to bring back a little bit of the culture. Here are some hand-picked present suggestions from some of our favorite stores in Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley, that your family and friends will be sure to love. 1. Jams Peru has a diverse selection of tasty fruits. Spread your favorite on your Christmas pannetone by eating them in jams! Las Gabas mermeladas has an amazing selection of 100% natural jams that have no preservatives with Peruvian flavors, including mango with maracuyá and green pepper, aguaymanto with brandy, and mandarina with vino moscatel. You can get these tasty treats at Peru Pa’ Ti in Lima, which sells gourmet products and handicrafts from around the country. The shop also has a lovely sit-down space to enjoy other Peruvian culinary classics such as hot sandwiches, ceviches, tiraditos and anticuchos. Peru Pa’ Ti Av. Armendáriz 546, Miraflores, Lima Tel. 445-5099 Tuesday - Thursday: 8am-11pm, Friday - Saturday: 8am-12am, Sunday: 8am-8pm 2. Ornaments Now that the holiday season is upon us, it is time to visit Las Pallas’ Christmas collection of ornaments, nativity scenes and more. Starting in late November, their Christmas-themed room displays an enormous cactus covered with ornaments from all over Peru that are all for sale in the shop. Below the cactus are ‘mountains’ with various nativity scenes from around the country on display. Mari explained the different materials the figurines were made from and where in Peru they were made. Mari Solari’s shop is a must for those visitors to Lima looking for vintage pieces of folk art from throughout Peru. Las Pallas is located within Mari’s home, a lovely Barranco mansion. Las Pallas Calle Cajamarca 212, Barranco, Lima
Peruvian gift ideas If you’re living in or traveling to Peru for Christmas, these Peruvian gift ideas will make for a great way to bring back a little bit of the culture. Here are some hand-picked present suggestions from some of our favorite stores in Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley, that your…
