LIFESTYLES | LUXURY TRAVEL
ESSENTIAL
PERU
BY KEVIN CHAFFEE
Machu Picchu
P
eru has it all — a mostly temperate
climate and diverse geography that ranges
from the Andes Mountains and Amazon
River Basin to highland plains and beautiful
Pacific Ocean beaches. Ideally you’ll need at
least ten days to explore a satisfying selection of
the Land of the Inca’s most amazing sights.That’s
how long I spent there as a guest of the Ministry
of Trade after flying from Washington via Miami
(12 hours) to explore the colonial architecture
and major museums of Lima followed by Cusco,
the Sacred Valley and incredible Machu Picchu,
South America’s most historic monument.You’ll
definitely want to focus as much as possible on
breakfast, lunch and dinner because the delicious
national cuisine is among the world’s finest. Peru
has some truly great hotels and it’s also safe, fun,
stimulating, not too expensive and the people are
friendly and kind.Who could ask for more? >>
SETTLINGIN
The Westin Lima Hotel’s futuristic vibe extends
upwards from its sleek lobby and zen-like spa
and pool to all 30 floors of spacious rooms and
suites, each boasting eye-popping views of the
city through walls of floor-to-ceiling windows.
The famed “Heavenly Beds,” comfortable
furnishings and absence of street noise are a
major plus along with enormous bathrooms
featuring separate showers and tubs. Service was
top notch and included a staff huddle to get
my cell phone working at 1 a.m. Start the day
with at the breakfast buffet featuring an amazing
selection of gluten-free items. From $225. (Calle
74
Las Begonias, 450, San Isidro, 51-(1)-201-5000.
www.starwoodhotels.com).
EXPLORINGLIMA
Most of the capital’s colonial-era monuments and
churches are in the El Centro district near the
Plaza de Armas, a vast square that has served as
the city center since 1535. Start at the Palacio de
Gobierno, the neo-baroque presidential palace
where a spectacularly choreographed changing of
the guard takes place at noon. Nearby attractions
include the Iglesia de San Pedro, noted for its
many beautiful altars and hand-painted tiles, the
Convento de San Francisco (whose catacombs
contain the bones of 75,000 people) and the
Plaza San Martin, dominated by a massive statue
of Simon Bolivar. Reserve in advance to visit the
art- and antique-filled Casa Solariega de Aliaga,
where the Aliga family has resided since 1536.
(Jiron de la Union 224, casadealiaga.com). Museums
are worth a visit, especially the Museo Pedro de
Osma (Av. Pedro de Osma 423), a 19th-century
mansion with impressive paintings and silver,
and the Museo Larco (Av. Bolivar 1515), which
boasts the world’s largest private collection
of pre-Columbian art as well as the famous
Sala Erotica, proof positive that ancient Peru’s
inhabitants were no prudes.
DININGHOTSPOTS
Virgilio Martinez, who trained at Lutèce in Paris,
offers wondrous “feasts for the eyes as well as the
stomach” on each and every plate at Central
Restaurante. The eight and 18-course menus
celebrate native ingredients sourced from the sea,
mountains, jungle and desert and might include
airampo (a rare cactus) and cushiro (a caviar-like
bacteria) along with suckling pig or kid stewed
overnight. $35-$120 per person. (Calle Santa
Isabella 376, Miraflores, centralrestaurante.com.pe).
Maido is where you’ll want to try chef Mitsuharu
Tsumura’s inventive Japanese-Peruvian fusion
cuisine: sashimi and nigiri-style sushi with sauces
featuring Amazonian
ingredients followed
by
whimsical
chocolate seaweed
or rice strawberry
cream for dessert.
$35-$70. (Calle San
Scallops, lettuce and
Martin 399, Miraflores,
granadilla at Central
maido.pe.)
CUSCO
Cusco is a breathtaking (literally) 10,825 feet
above sea level and requires advanced care to visit
properly. Drink the local coca tea and take it easy
the first day and you’ll be ready to explore the
capital of the old Inca empire at a steady pace.
After checking in at the exquisite, art-filled Hotel
Palacio del Inka, which offers comfortable and
quiet rooms but is close to the action (from $230,
libertador.com.pe), you’ll want to stroll to the grand
colonial era Plaza de Armas to see the mammoth
Catedral replete with Baroque carvings, gold
and silver altars and giant oil paintings (don’t
miss the extraordinary “Last Supper” by an
indigenous artist who had the temerity to depict
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