Inkaterra La Casona

one of the loveliest hotels in South America

Set three blocks to the northeast of the Plaza de Armas, Inkaterra La Casona is a very high class boutique hotel which is contained within a wonderful and historic mansion dating back to around 1570.

It’s a member of the Relais & Châteaux portfolio and is widely considered to be one of the finest hotels in Peru. Choosing to stay here is not a difficult decision, but getting availability can be a mission.

The hotel is effectively a living museum, centred around a gorgeous inner courtyard, surrounded by colonnaded cloisters on two floors, with fine masonry and timber architecture.

The place has the atmosphere of a peaceful sanctuary, right in the heart of the old town.

The hotel offers a full 24hr concierge service and facilities including the excellent Yaku Spa.

Rooms

Guest accommodation is in just 11 rooms, which come in three specifications …

• Plaza Suites : 47 sqm / 512 sqft
• Balcon Suites : 32-44 sqm / 346-482 sqft
• Patio Suites : 33-28 sqm / 355-418 sqft

All of the rooms feature authentic architectural features and gorgeous period decor.

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