Belmond Hotel Monasterio

contained within an historic Spanish monastery

Set two blocks to the east of the Plaza de Armas, Belmond Hotel Monasterio is a large and very high quality hotel which is contained within a wonderful historic Spanish monastery dating back to 1595.

This place is effectively a living museum, centred around a gorgeous inner courtyard, surrounded by colonnaded cloisters, with fine masonry and timber architecture.

The hotel contains one of Cusco’s finest collections of 18th-century colonial religious art, with original paintings in both the public areas and the bedrooms. Expert art tours of the hotel are available.

The property also includes an impressive baroque chapel where weddings can be hosted and is adjacent to sister property the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas Hotel.

The hotel offers a full 24hr concierge service and facilities including an aromatherapy and Thai massage suite.

Rooms

Guest accommodation is in a total of 126 rooms and suites, most of which have been created out of the original dormitories for the Jesuit monks. All rooms have heating and air-conditioning. They come in three specifications …

Suites : The largest format includes a bedroom, separate living room, large marble bathroom and either a private terrace, patio or balcony.

Junior Suites : Similar, but slightly smaller and without the private terrace.

Rooms : Still very pleasant and authentic, but without the separate lounge or private terrace.

Interestingly the rooms here can be supplied with additional oxygen in order to offset the effects of altitude.

Activities

• historic city tours
• hiking trails
• cultural interaction

Cusco is usually visited at the end of a week-long exploration of the Inca Highlands. It is usually preceded by the Valle Sagrado, which is at lower altitude, enabling acclimatisation before heading up here.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Cusco is generally considered to be during the Apr-Sep cool dry season.

Cusco has a subtropical highland climate, which is generally dry and temperate, with two clearly defined seasons.

During the Apr-Sep winter conditions are usually cool and clear, with lots of sunshine. The peak daytime temperatures are usually around 20C/68F, with the nighttime lows regularly plunging to 1C/33F, with regular frosts. Average sunshine is up around 7-8 hours per day, peaking in July.

During the Oct-Mar summer the weather is often cloudy and wet, with rainfall around 100mm (4”) per month. The peak daytime temperatures usually climb to around 27C/80F, with the nighttime lows holding up around 6C/44F. Average sunshine drops to only around 4 hrs per day in February.

Like many of the high elevation locations in the Andes, the ultra-violet radiation is extremely high, so sun protection is essential.

Getting there

Cusco is usually accessed by air from the capital Lima, with there usually being several flights per day in each direction.

There are also regular flight connections with Puerto Maldonado in the Tambopata area of the south Peruvian Amazon and Iquitos in the north Peruvian Amazon.

The areas of Valle Sagrado, Machu Picchu, Lago Titicaca, Colca Canyon and Arequipa can all be connected by guided overland road transfer or by rail (with both regular PeruRail services or luxury Pullman services).

Locations further afield, both in the north of the country and down on the coast are usually reached by air via Lima.

Cusco is a truly remarkable historic city