The Best Hotel For Luxury Sustainable Travel in Peru: Inkaterra La Casona

September 07, 2022 | by: Thomas Adams

Exploring the Peruvian Andes in high luxury style and in the most sustainable way is more attainable than ever before with a stay at Inkaterra La Casona, Cusco’s first boutique hotel built in the 16th Century – who is leading the way for sustainable travel in Peru.

In the heart of Cusco

Less than a five minute walk from Cusco’s Plaza De Armas, surrounded by charming cobblestone streets, Inkaterra La Casona is manor house on an old training ground for the Incan army – they even famously had Spanish Conquistador Diego de Almagro and ‘Libertador’ Simón Bolívar among their numerous illustrious guests. With a plethora of historical relics found across the property, guests have the opportunity to feel as though they’ve stepped in a time machine.

Inkaterra La Casona is perfectly situated near many of Cusco’s most important sites, best restaurants and significant museums. Travelers who stay there will have the perfect chance to explore Cusco’s narrow, cobblestone streets and make their way through the colorful local markets, not to mention its central location in the city makes it the perfect point to start any Sacred Valley adventure.

“Guests first come to stay at Inkaterra for the experiences only Cusco can offer, and they return because of the special service we offer here at La Casona.” said Luisella, General Manager of Inkaterra La Casona.

Careful design, intimate attention

La Casona has just 11 carefully designed suites, which keeps the space intimate and ensures each guest is thoughtfully attended to – to the point where Inkaterra reservations staff even go as far as to find the preferences and dislikes of their guests before they check in. Each suite is complete with a heavy carved wooden doors, stone fireplace, heated floors, an extra large bathtub for travelers to soak and relax in. With its gorgeous colonial design and 16th century furniture in each of the rooms – travelers will feel as if they’ve checked into a royal palace for their stay in the Sacred Valley. The lobby leads to a traditional courtyard, with stone arches along the ground floor, stone and carved wood along the balcony above. The courtyard in the middle is covered with grass and candles flicker along the halls of the surrounding square in the evenings. A dining room inside offers outdoor seating in the courtyard when weather permits, plus a fully–stocked bar is at one end.

A careful refurb restored all the original masonry and everything added since its original build– from furnishings and fixtures to art and antiques – is there to create the atmosphere of a conquistador’s private pad. It works wonderfully, and the dark Spanish-style wooden furniture sets off perfectly the warm-hued Andean artworks, rugs and throws. Inkaterra La Casona  reflects the encounter of cultures and traditions across centuries.

Sip, savor, relax

In addition to its gorgeous historical architecture and in-room amenities, the hotel also includes a Yacu therapy room – which offers bespoke treatments with products derived from local sources. After a day of exploring the busy streets of Cusco, sit back and relax and enjoy a spiritual, sensual, and soothing experience at the spa, which uses 100% natural products, created from local botanic extracts. Reflexology, Andean hot stones, and de-stress massages are among the therapies available.

In the main dining room, a gourmet buffet breakfast is served each morning with chef-prepared dishes derived from fresh, locally sourced ingredients,  providing travelers with an opportunity to experience some of the regional culinary styles. A number of excellent à la carte lunch and dinner options are available throughout the rest of the day. The restaurant staff is attentive and friendly— travelers recall that oftentimes the waiters will remember what they’ve tried in the past and recommend new dishes that may be to their liking. Tea time at Inkaterra is from 4-6 PM every evening, and it includes hand-selected teas, hot chocolates and cookies for guests to indulge in.

Endless adventure

In partnership with Inkaterra, guests traveling with Kuoda will have plenty of pre-arranged tour options available when staying at the hotel. Guests traveling with Kuoda will enjoy a personalized itinerary with excursions to and from Inkaterra including:

• A private guided excursion through Cusco’s four main ruins:
  • Sacsayhuamán: It is the most impressive ruin close to the city of Cusco, where the yearly Inti Raymi festival (Sun Cult feast) is celebrated.
  • Puca Pucará, or “red fort;” thought to be a hunting lodge, this rock structure looks pink in some lights.
  • Qenko – a ruin that consists of a large limestone riddled with niches, steps and carving, including zigzagging channels that gave the site its name.
  • Tambomachay (Cavern Lodge), commonly referred to as the Baños del Inca or Inca baths. Tambomachay was a site for ritual bathing.
• A walking tour to the Cathedral, San Blas church and Koricancha:
  • Explore the most important historical and architectural sites in the city of Cusco
• Visit the Incan complexes of Pisac and Awanacancha
  • Visit one of Sacred Valley’s finest and most impressive Inca complex, the archaeological site of Pisac, with terraces built on its hills. To visit the site, you must walk along winding paths on a mountain cliff. Among the most important buildings are Pisaca, which is a curved wall; the Intihuatana, a solar clock among a group of temples and the military zone called “Q’Allaqasa”.
• An excursion to Chincero
  • Visit the traditional Andean village of Chinchero located in the highlands of Anta.
• Visit the Maras Salt Mines and the Circular Terraces of Moray
  • Enjoy a private guided trip to Maras Salt Mines and the circular terraces of Moray. On the way you will see some of the most scenic spots in the Sacred Valley. First, visit the ancient salt mines near the village of Maras, where salty springs emerge from the hillside and the Incas built terraces to capture the flows and harvest salt.

Dedication to sustainability

Inkaterra La Casona is a leader for sustainable travel in Peru, and beyond. After measuring Inkaterra’s CO2 footprint, elaborate mitigation plan with a 5% per year reduction target by 2030 and offset, Green Initiative — a certification company endorsed by the United Nations — declared the Lima, Peru-based eco-tourism company as climate positive, which means “any activity that furthers the achievement of carbon neutrality, providing an environmental benefit by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.” Inkaterra goes beyond encouraging guests to conserve water and light. Since 1975, the hotel has been developing conservation programs to preserve the natural characteristics of the Amazon rainforest, which helps prevent global warming. These programs directly protect 12,000 hectares of private property, fixing 7,200 ton/CO2/ha/year.

Though there has been a greater emphasis on becoming carbon neutral in the past 10 years, Inkaterra has been a sustainable hotel for 46 years – backed with scientific research, biodiversity conservation and sustainability at the very core of its business.

“At Inkaterra, we strongly believe that we all need to change our behaviors as individuals, as countries and as a global community. We all contribute to global warming; thus, everyone needs to be part of the solution,” Luisiella said.

Additionally, Inkaterra pays a non-profit organization in the US (Sustainable Travel International) to offset the few carbon emissions from their activities – including utilities, transportation for guests and flights that employees take. The hotel even offers its guests the opportunity to offset their air travel related greenhouse gas emissions, though a unique custom carbon calculator developed by Sustainable Travel International (STI), ensuring each guest experiences sustainable travel in Peru, with a carbon neutral or carbon positive stay at Inkaterra.

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime destination

Perched high in the Andes, Inkaterra La Casona hotel is a full Incan immersion. With its obvious colonial heritage that is seen throughout the property to its bright indigenous rugs, modern touches, exceptional service and commitment to sustainability – Inkaterra La Casona offers guests with an intimate, personalized and immersive experience in the Sacred Valley. For those looking to travel to the Sacred Valley in luxury – let our expert travel curators at Kuoda plan your trip. Make Inkaterra La Casona a part of your Sacred Valley journey and let the luxury continue even after you check out with a sustainable, luxury trip to Peru.