Celebrate Earth Day with Inkaterra

As you can imagine, Earth Day is a very important day for us at Inkaterra – we’ve worked hard for forty years to care for the planet, through our research into biodiversity, conservation and preservation of the local culture, flora and fauna. In celebration of Earth Day, and our ongoing work caring for the environment, Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción and Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel will each host one day of eco-initiatives, working with the local community.

Screen Shot 2016-04-22 at 17.53.01Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is shrouded in the mysterious Andean Cloud Forests, home to an array of native orchids, birds and butterflies. At Inkaterra we celebrate this biodiversity every day, but Earth Day is a wonderful excuse to get together, pull on our gardening gloves and help re-forest the hotel.

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At the end of the exciting excursions running around the property, our guests will be invited to help out with reforestation, and children from Machu Picchu Pueblo who are part of our training workshops will also lend a helping hand. Videos allusive to Earth Day will be projected in the staff’s dining room, and cleaning sessions will take place at Café Inkaterra, alongside the railway, and towards our native farm. After listening to an Earth Day presentation on the Machu Picchu Radio, a lecture will be held for the children of the Inka Pachacutec Secondary School children from Machu Picchu Pueblo, educating them on environmental issues.

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Meanwhile, at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción, a luxury eco-lodge hidden deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, seedlings will be planted by students and guests in the lush surroundings of the hotel. A week ago, refuse bags were left beside Lake Sandoval Control area for the visiting rangers, so they could gather plastic bottles and other waste left scattered in the area – these bags will be collected today! Cleanings along the river shore and road to the lake will also take place, before a video on global warming is presented in the eco centre.

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Nearby, Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica invites regional students to the hotel’s eco centre, where a lecture on the environment will take place. Seedlings will be planted, before cleaning sessions along the river will help remove rubbish and debris which could be harmful to the local wildlife.

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It’s not all work and no play at Inkaterra on Earth Day! As a reward for their hard work, volunteers will get the chance to traverse the famous Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, and sip on Pisco Sour as the sun sets across the beautiful Rolin Island Beach. 

 To find out more about the conservation work Inkaterra do, please visit www.inkaterra.com

Semana Santa

It’s that time of year when the nation comes alive and embraces Semana Santa. Last week, revellers immersed themselves in the religious gathering that leaves no attendee dissatisfied and underwhelmed. This is Peru’s finest religious festival, and visitors from all over the globe flocked to major cities to join the festivities.

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Those who wish to indulge in the kaleidoscopic celebrations can choose to stay in any of the luxurious Inkaterra properties during their visit to Peru, from the majestic heights of the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, to Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, a property perched in the rolling hills of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

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In Cusco, this celebration takes on a slightly different expression, according to tradition and local customs – in 1650, a major earthquake ripped through the city of Cusco, destroying buildings and taking lives along the way. Struck with fear and chaos, residents had no where and no one to turn to apart from the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, a place that remained untouched. Legend has it that a painting of a crucifix that hung majestically inside the sanctuary protected the people inside.

Ever since, the city has held its annual El Señor de los Temblores (“The Lord of the Earthquakes”) festival on the Monday between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Holy week (Semana Santa) commences on Palm Sunday, kicking off a seven-day celebration that sees locals feasting and enjoying local culinary delicacies such as empanadas, maicillos and condesas as well as the traditional 12 dishes of the region, prepared on Easter Friday in commemoration of the 12 disciples.

San Pedro market in particular is a hot spot for the famous food offerings of Semana Santa, with male and female vendors flocking to the market to sell the celebratory sweets and empanadas.

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Those who wish to travel to Cusco to celebrate Easter can further immerse themselves in the history of the vibrant city, with a stay at Inkaterra La Casona, a 16th century colonial manor, situated on a cobbled street in the heart of Cusco.

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Inkaterra La Casona preserves the culture and traditions of the ancient Incan civilisation through its intricate decoration, pieces of colonial furniture, murals, traditional textiles and stone, reflecting the patina of several eras.  The attention to traditional detail means guests of the hotel will experience the tranquility and repose once offered to the illustrious travellers who visited in earlier times.

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For more information on Inkaterra La Casona, please click here.

30/03/2016