Festivals in Peru, La Diablada At this time of year in Peru, many colorful festivals begin leading up to Holy Week. One of the most famous takes place in Puno by Lake Titicaca in early February called. La Virgen de La Candelaria, which features hundreds of traditional dances and brilliant masks and costumes. This year it is estimated that some twenty thousand tourists will go to Puno to see the festival. You can read in more detail about the festival and its history in a previous blog post, Peru’s Vibrant Candelaria Festival – Puno. One of the most well-known dances at the festival is called la danza de la Diablada, which translates as the Devil’s Dance. The dance has roots in the Altiplano of Peru, Bolivia and Chile and in 2003 was named a part of Cultural Heritage of Peru. While the Diablada is not exclusive to La Virgen de La Candelaria, it is one of the most popular because of the ornate costumes and the bright masks worn by dancers representing the devil or forces of evil. There are various versions of the dance’s origin, but essentially, the theme of the dance is the constant struggle between good and evil, with St. Michael the Archangel representing good and the devils representing evil. The dance is an example of syncretism, fusing the Christian tale of St. Michael leading God’s armies against the forces of Satan in the New Testament with the Aymara legend of Supay and the miners. The narrative goes that miners were trapped in a cavern by Supay, the deity of evil who lived inside of the earth, when La Virgin saved them from the fiery cavern. From a combination of these two tales, the dance takes its roots. Over time the choreography has changed and become more dynamic
Festivals in Peru, La Diablada At this time of year in Peru, many colorful festivals begin leading up to Holy Week. One of the most famous takes place in Puno by Lake Titicaca in early February called. La Virgen de La Candelaria, which features hundreds of traditional dances and brilliant…
Twenty years since it first opened, the world-renowned Astrid & Gastón restaurant is set to move from its traditional Miraflores home to a historic mansion in Lima’s San Isidro neighborhood. The restaurant is the “jewel in the crown” of Gastón Acurio, widely acclaimed as the international face of Peruvian gourmet cuisine, and the move marks a change in perspective for the country’s most famous chef. It was in 1994 that Gastón opened an upscale French restaurant on the quiet Calle Cantuarias in Lima’s Miraflores district, still freshly returned to Peru after studying gastronomy in Paris with his wife, Astrid Gutsche. Together, they made the bold decision to open their own restaurant, Astrid & Gastón. Two decades later, a complete change of menu (from French to Peruvian international cuisine) and worldwide recognition (winning the award for best Latin American Restaurant and making the San Pellegrino list of top 50 in the world) have marked the incredible transformation of the restaurant, a backdrop to the burgeoning popularity of chef Gastón and Peruvian gastronomy. The whole story has unfolded in the original location. But this March Astrid & Gastón will bid farewell to its Miraflores locale and open its doors at La Casa Moreyra in San Isidro. The move is a big one, literally, La Casa Moreyra is significantly more spacious than the modest mansion on Calle Cantuarias. More importantly, Gastón has ambitious plans for the new estate, where he intends to create a space fit for the Peruvian “avant-garde”, mixing modernity and tradition in the hacienda. His cutting-edge restaurant will maintain the history of the building, while styling the decoration and ambiance according to contemporary taste. In the central gardens of the estate will be the main dining area with seating for about sixty patrons and the bar, which will have a
Twenty years since it first opened, the world-renowned Astrid & Gastón restaurant is set to move from its traditional Miraflores home to a historic mansion in Lima’s San Isidro neighborhood. The restaurant is the “jewel in the crown” of Gastón Acurio, widely acclaimed as the international face of Peruvian gourmet…
A Trip Across Bolivia with Aracari Journalist Lauren Holmes shares her personal experience travelling through Bolivia with Aracari as part of her research trip for her Bolivia destination article for House & Garden Magazine. During my first trip to Bolivia, backpacking across the continent a decade ago, I had time on my side. Yet, despite a month spent hopping between Andean Altiplano and dense jungle, ticking off the major must-sees, I left feeling like I had missed something, that of all the countries I had visited, it was the hardest one to crack. A multitude of worlds within one The country’s complexities are no secret and date back to the Incas, who maintained their grip of power over their vast empire by shuffling tribes around to dissuade dissent. When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived, their disregard for anything associated with the indigenous way of life made the already hermetic communities ever more fiercely protective of customs and traditions – and forged a wariness of foreigners that is still palpable. Today, Bolivia is a multitude of worlds within one - 35 officially recognized indigenous languages and cultures that enable you to jump between historical periods as if you had a time machine. Bolivia is a difficult country to travel alone Second time round, I was determined to forge a stronger connection to the culture and find the understanding I had lacked, as well as exploring all that was to enjoy of Bolivia’s ‘new luxury’ for a feature for the UK’s House & Garden magazine. This was where Aracari would prove invaluable. With a culture as dense and confusing as the topography, limited infrastructure and regular roadblocks, Bolivia is a difficult country to travel alone, particularly if you want to head off the well-trodden tourist path. Exploring La Paz We started in La
A Trip Across Bolivia with Aracari Journalist Lauren Holmes shares her personal experience travelling through Bolivia with Aracari as part of her research trip for her Bolivia destination article for House & Garden Magazine. During my first trip to Bolivia, backpacking across the continent a decade ago, I had time…
Jerusalem and Petra were always on my bucket list, but somehow I never thought of that trip as travelling to the Holy Land, the name given to the area where Jesus spent his life, which is in essence the land that is now Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan. By contrast, a trip to the Holy Land was at the top of my mother´s bucket list, so when I proposed this as a birthday present, she was delighted. As I started dipping my toes in the arrangements, I realised that there is so much to experience in the area that is not necessarily of a Christian religious nature—so much that it was rather a blessing to have a focus. Otherwise, we would have been truly torn as to what to choose to do with our limited time. So with a clear focus, I started planning well in advance, and I quickly realised that if you want a trip with a Christian religious bias in that area, Israel and Palestine suffice to cover the New Testament. But if you want to cover the Old Testament sites too, you need to go to Jordan and Sinai (Egypt) as well. We stuck to the New Testament and added Jordan, of course, as Petra was key to the trip, too, and set aside the rest due to time constraints. As an independent traveller at heart, I embarked on research, first by talking to friends and contacts, then searching on the internet and requesting advice from fellow travel professionals and specialists. With everyone´s expertise combined, and the invaluable help of Condé Nast Travel Specialist Lorenzo Urra, whose contacts on the ground (especially our guides) did a remarkable job, my mother, my 11-year-old son and I departed for our adventure on December 27th and spent twelve magnificent days
Jerusalem and Petra were always on my bucket list, but somehow I never thought of that trip as travelling to the Holy Land, the name given to the area where Jesus spent his life, which is in essence the land that is now Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan. By contrast,…
For thousands of years people of the Andes and the Amazon have relied on herbal medicines to treat common ailments like headaches, infections and inflammations. Today, along with modern medicine, people continue utilizing the same medicinal plants of Peru with these positive health benefits, and at Aracari we have certainly tried some of them ourselves! Many of these medicinal plants are native to the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes of Peru, and for anyone interested in herbal remedies, we can arrange visits to local communities in either region, where you could do a trek with locals or visit a shaman, a spiritual counselor, to learn more about these plants and their medicinal properties. As locally based destination specialists we offer private, tailormade travel to Peru and can connect you with expert guides to learn more about medicinal plants in Peru if you travel here as part of any bespoke itinerary. As an introduction, we’ve selected eight medicinal plants that are well-known and widely used in Peru. A guide to Medicinal Plants of Peru Uña de Gato Uncaria guianensis Uña de gato translates to Cat’s Claw and is an herb that grows in the Amazon of Peru. Its common name refers to the curved thorns of this woody vine that look like claws. The inner bark and root have been used for centuries in Peru because they contain high levels of alkaloids that activate the immune system, reduce inflammation, protect against tumor growth and carcinogens and prevent gene mutations. It is also used for many gastrointestinal problems and has antiviral properties that can stop the spread of viruses. Uña de gato can be brewed as a drink or is often taken in the form of capsules or an extract in daily doses. Achiote Bixa Orellana Aciote is a small tree that grows
For thousands of years people of the Andes and the Amazon have relied on herbal medicines to treat common ailments like headaches, infections and inflammations. Today, along with modern medicine, people continue utilizing the same medicinal plants of Peru with these positive health benefits, and at Aracari we have certainly…
Ever wondered what it is like to sleep in a glass pod suspended off a mountainside accessed by climbing up a vertical via ferrata to get there? You can now find out in Peru's Sacred Valley, where Skylodge reaches new heights in quirky accommodation. Aracari went to test out the via ferrata and Skylodge and share our review of the adrenaline-inducing experience. Skylodge Adventure Suites in the Sacred Valley Climbing the via ferrata to reach the Skylodge Skylodge Adventure Suites is owned by the same mountain adventure operator that holds claim to Peru’s first via ferrata and also six zip-lines, one measuring 1,640 feet (500 metres) in length. Just to reach the Skylodge requires a one-hour climb up about 984 feet (300 metres) on the via ferrata or alternatively a trek up the mountainside. The lodges are referred to as “vertical hanging modules”, which are set on a cliff in Ollantaytambo at 1,312 feet (400 metres) in the air. Driving past on the main highway connecting Cusco to the Sacred Valley, you can look up and see the modules, appearing like glass cocoons protruding from the mountainside. Hotel That Hangs Off a Cliff The modules are made of aerospacial aluminum and high resistance polycarbonate, and as I stood inside, looking out on the Sacred Valley, the sky above, the river below, the guide I was with urged me to jump up and down—to test the strength. I could hear the wind press against the walls, slipping inside through one of the six small windows for ventilation. It was warm inside under the hot, Andean sun, but I could imagine that in the evenings, the pristine view of the stars and the cool breeze must feel, well, heavenly. There are four beds in each module, a dining tray and a bathroom (with a
Ever wondered what it is like to sleep in a glass pod suspended off a mountainside accessed by climbing up a vertical via ferrata to get there? You can now find out in Peru’s Sacred Valley, where Skylodge reaches new heights in quirky accommodation. Aracari went to test out the…
