Inkaterra, a pioneer of ecotourism in Peru since 1975, was prominently featured on La Ruta: Perú, a documentary series created, directed and hosted by journalist Alejandra Oraa and broadcast on History 2. The series explores the country through its history, culture, gastronomy, biodiversity and the people who bring these stories to life.

During her journey through Peru, Oraa visited Inkaterra properties across the Amazon and the Andes, including the three hotels that together hold the five Michelin Keys awarded to Inkaterra.

The journey began in Madre de Dios, where Oraa stayed at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción. From there, she discovered some of the initiatives that offer a deeper understanding of the region’s extraordinary biodiversity. At Inkaterra Asociación’s bio-garden, located at Amazon Field Station, she explored Amazonian species and products such as cacao, camu camu and medicinal plants including sangre de grado, before visiting the Brazil Nut House to learn about one of the Peruvian Amazon’s most emblematic products, which she described as a “natural energy bar from the Amazon.” Her experience culminated at the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, a system of suspension bridges 30 meters above the forest floor offering a unique perspective on wildlife inhabiting the treetops. From there, she reflected on the importance of approaching the rainforest through respect and conservation: “The Amazon does not need us to discover it, but rather to learn to value it,” Oraa concluded.

The route continued to Cusco, the gateway to one of Peru’s most iconic sights: Machu Picchu. There, Oraa stayed at Inkaterra La Casona, Peru’s first Relais & Châteaux property, Cusco’s first boutique hotel, and recipient of two Michelin Keys. Located on the historic Plaza de las Nazarenas, this 16th-century manor preserves original Inca and colonial walls and embodies centuries of Cusco’s history. During her visit, Oraa also highlighted the distinguishing figures connected to the history of this Cusco mansion, among them the liberator Simón Bolívar.

The journey continued through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where Oraa stayed at Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, a contemporary hacienda surrounded by the Andean mountains and recognized with two Michelin Keys. Here, La Ruta explored the Andean worldview and the principle of reciprocity between communities and the land.

Together with members of the Chinchero community, local musicians and an Andean spiritual guide, Oraa took part in a traditional payment to the Earth ceremony, an expression of gratitude and respect for Pachamama. The experience continued at the Chicha House, where she learned about the preparation and cultural significance of this ancestral beverage. Oraa described the encounter as one of the most authentic and moving experiences of her entire journey through Peru.

In Machu Picchu, La Ruta looked beyond the celebrated Inca citadel to discover the extraordinary ecosystem that surrounds it. Oraa stayed at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, recipient of one Michelin Key and conceived as an Andean village nestled among streams, gardens and five hectares of restored cloud forest. The experience led her to capture the property’s philosophy in a single phrase: “Luxury does not impose itself upon the landscape; it breathes with it.”

During her stay, she explored the orchid gardens, part of a biodiversity hotspot that is home to 372 native orchid species — the world’s largest collection in its natural habitat according to the American Orchid Society — and 317 bird species recorded on eBird.

Another highlight took place at the Tea House, where Oraa discovered the process behind Inkaterra’s organic tea, grown at 2,050 meters above sea level on a century-old Camellia sinensis plantation under restoration by Inkaterra since 1976. Its varieties have received distinctions at the international Teas of the World awards organized by AVPA France, including a Gold Medal in 2023 and two Silver Medals in 2024. The experience revealed an unexpected side of the Andes: some of the world’s finest teas do not necessarily come from Asia — they can also be grown in Peru.

From the biodiversity of the Amazon to the living traditions of the Sacred Valley, through the cultural heritage of Cusco and the cloud forests of Machu Picchu, La Ruta presents a journey through Peru with Inkaterra, where hospitality, nature and culture come together under a shared philosophy of conservation and appreciation of the country’s heritage.

During a recent “Twilight River” excursion at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica, along the Madre de Dios River, a group of travelers experienced one of the most extraordinary encounters the rainforest can offer: a close sighting of a wild jaguar (Panthera onca) in its natural habitat.

The largest feline in the Americas and an apex predator of Amazonian ecosystems, the jaguar is solitary, elusive, and remarkably difficult to observe in the wild. Its powerful body allows it to move effortlessly through both dense forest and aquatic environments, while the distinctive rosette patterns of its coat provide exceptional camouflage as it stalks prey among the vegetation. Most active around dusk and during the night, jaguars generally avoid human presence and roam extensive territories in search of food.

Seeing a jaguar in the wild is therefore a rare privilege. That evening, travelers watched the feline calmly walking along the riverbank for a few moments before it disappeared into the forest.

Beyond the excitement of the encounter, the presence of a jaguar is also an indicator of ecosystem health. As a species that requires large areas of habitat and an abundant prey base, its presence reflects the capacity of the ecological reserve conserved by Inkaterra to sustain complex networks of biodiversity.

Inkaterra complements observations made during its explorations with camera traps, which record jaguars and other elusive species without interfering with their natural behavior. These records provide valuable information for Inkaterra’s ongoing wildlife research, monitoring, and conservation efforts.

What is it like to come face-to-face with the Amazon’s great feline? We invite you to read the full account on the Inkaterra blog, featuring images and videos of this extraordinary encounter.

On August 18, Inkaterra Asociación organized a special screening of Lady Nazca (2026) at the Pachacútec Auditorium in Machu Picchu Pueblo, bringing the local community and travelers closer to the extraordinary story of Maria Reiche, the German mathematician and researcher who made Peru her home and devoted much of her life to studying and protecting the Nazca Lines.

Held with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Peru and the District Municipality of Machu Picchu, the screening was attended by Swiss director Damien Dorsaz, who shared with the audience the story behind the film and his personal connection with Maria Reiche, whom he had the opportunity to meet during a visit to Nazca in 1996.

Starring Devrim Lingnau, Lady Nazca portrays a young Maria Reiche’s arrival in Peru and the discovery that would transform her life: the enigmatic Nazca Lines, one of the world’s great archaeological treasures. A mathematician by training, Reiche devoted decades to studying the geoglyphs, traversing the desert, and advocating for their preservation, becoming one of the foremost defenders of Peru’s cultural heritage.

The film portrays not only her scientific fascination with the figures etched into the desert more than a thousand years ago, but also the perseverance of a woman who found her life’s purpose in protecting them. Her work was instrumental in raising awareness of the universal significance of the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca and Palpa, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.

The screening forms part of Inkaterra Asociación’s commitment to promoting and celebrating Peru’s cultural heritage, creating opportunities for local communities and travelers to engage with the people and stories that have contributed to understanding and protecting the country’s legacy.

UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions), a UK Government program supporting the transition toward low-carbon economies, announced the inclusion of the Madre de Dios Sustainable Landscape (MDSL) in its project portfolio for the 2026–2027 period.

Led by Inkaterra Asociación, the Madre de Dios Sustainable Landscape is built around a fundamental premise: to demonstrate that conserving the Amazon rainforest can generate economic value and provide a competitive alternative to activities that drive environmental degradation.

Madre de Dios contains approximately 15% of Peru’s Andean-Amazonian tropical forest and is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Yet its ecosystems face significant pressures from gold mining, logging, agricultural expansion, land encroachment, and human-induced forest fires.

In response to these challenges, MDSL seeks to develop a sustainable, investment-ready landscape spanning more than 100,000 hectares (252,047 acres), where biodiversity conservation can coexist with long-term economic opportunities. The model brings together the private sector, communities, researchers, and other stakeholders to identify and develop initiatives involving reforestation, ecotourism, sustainable forest products, and carbon and biodiversity markets, creating the conditions needed to channel capital toward activities compatible with forest conservation.

UK PACT’s support will help advance the development of financing models for investment-ready landscapes, testing scalable mechanisms capable of mobilizing long-term private capital while creating economic incentives for conservation and sustainable development.

In this way, MDSL proposes a new approach to Amazon conservation: not only protecting the forest, but demonstrating that keeping it standing can generate opportunities, investment, and livelihoods for those who depend on it.

Its inclusion in the UK PACT portfolio strengthens this vision while contributing to Peru’s goals for forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, emissions reduction, and sustainable regional development.