Lima - Lucy Provan takes her picks of the best stops to lay down your head when in Peru.
Aranwa Resort
Colca
This four-star resort opened this week in the Colca Valley - one of Peru's top tourist spots thanks to its plunging canyon and soaring condors. Ideal for nature lovers, the resort has two waterfalls, a trout farm, and plots of quinoa and corn to roam through. There are also horseback and mountain bike tours, an on-site spa and the “white city” of Arequipa a three-hour drive away.
Aranwa Resort, Calle La Merced 206, Coporaque, Caylloma, Arequipa (00 511 434 1452; aranwahotels.com). Doubles start at $218 (about R2 000), including breakfast.
Casa del Sol
Aguas Calientes
This hotel offers 30 rooms in the heart Aguas Calientes – the scruffy base camp for Machu Picchu. The town’s name translates as “hot springs”. Rooms come with Jacuzzis, furnishings made by local artisans and views of the Urubamba River. Whether you’re relaxing in the hydrotherapy pool with its panoramic views or sampling Andean cuisine, Casa del Sol is a luxurious way to start your journey to the ancient Inca citadel.
Casa del Sol, Avenida Imperio de los Incas 608, Aguas Calientes (00 51 84 211 118; hotelescasadelsol.com). Doubles from $300, including breakfast.
Hotel B
Lima
This new art hotel is due to open in May. Housed in a Belle Epoque mansion that was designed a century ago by Claude Sahut, a French architect who was commissioned to add grandeur to Lima, it will feature 17 suites, a spa and a signature restaurant by Oscar Velarde. Located in the trendy Barranco district, it will have its own art collection and links to Lima’s leading gallery, Lucia de la Puente, making it the ideal base for those wanting to feel the capital’s cultural pulse.
Hotel B, Calle San Martin 301, Barranco, Lima (00 51 1 700 51 06; hotelb.pe). Doubles start at $576, including breakfast.
Titilaka
Lake Titicaca
This hotel is located on its own peninsula on Lake Titicaca – the largest lake in South America and the highest navigable body of water in the world. It features 18 rooms spread over three levels. Set between the water and the Cordillera mountains, it has extensive grounds and two private beaches. Excursions include boat tours to the floating islands of Uros, kayaking at 3,800m above sea level, biking through the Altiplano and visiting nearby archaeological ruins.
Titilaka, Chucuito, Peninsula Titilaka, Puno, Lake Titicaca (00 51 1 700 5111; titilaka.com). Doubles start at $910, all-inclusive.
Romero
Manú
The Unesco-listed primary forest of Manú National Park, deep in the Amazon jungle, became easier to reach this week thanks to a new flight from Cusco, run by Crees. The not-for-profit conservation organisation has been offering tours and accommodation in the region since 2002, but Romero is the newest outpost, standing sentinel with eight ensuites on the lower section of the Manú River – home to giant otters, black caiman and myriad bird life.
Romero, Manú National Park (020-7581 2932: crees-manu.org). A three-night stay costs £1,393pp, activities and domestic flight included.
Palacio Nazarenas
Cusco
This all-suite retreat opened in the capital of the old Inca Empire last summer. Part of the Orient Express group, it has the city’s only outdoor swimming pool – ideal for weary hikers returning from Machu Picchu. Its clutch of lavish rooms comes with Andean-style furnishings, while the gourmet El Senzo restaurant is overseen by Virgilio Martinez, one of Peru’s most exciting chefs. Added luxury comes courtesy of a personal butler and the Hypnôze spa.
Palacio Nazarenas, Plaza Nazarenas 144, Cusco (00 51 8 458 2222; palacionazarenas.com). Doubles start at $605, including breakfast. - The Independent