Belmond has enhanced its Peru portfolio with the acquisition of Belmond Las Casitas in Colca Canyon and the launch of Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train. The development marks progress on the company’s 2020 strategic growth plan and cements Belmond’s position as leaders of luxury travel experiences in Peru’s most exceptional locations.
Belmond Las Casitas, a 20-room property located in the Arequipa region of Southern Peru is set among the tranquil beauty of the Andes. Blending effortlessly with the natural environment, the intimate hotel fully matches with Belmond’s brand personality: authentic escapes that relate to nature, culture and wellbeing.
Nestled among lush gardens, each individual casita features a private terrace with a heated plunge pool and sweeping views across the canyon. The Samay Spa, built around the energy of the canyon rock, offers treatments using natural ingredients from the hotel’s kitchen garden and hypnotic views of the surrounding canyon, inspiring deep relaxation. Belmond Las Casitas also offers one of the most unique guest experiences in the world: a chance to view the flight of the Andean condors in their natural environment.
Pioneering a new way to discover Peru
Belmond Andean Explorer has departed on its inaugural journey from Cusco to Arequipa on a two-night journey, setting a new level of luxury for rail travel. The elegant carriages take guests through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, offering vast, uninterrupted views of snow-capped mountains, enormous skies, majestic lakes and herds of alpacas, llamas and vicunas grazing on the altiplano.
Interior designs reflect Peruvian culture, mixing vibrant colours with natural tones and large picture windows offer the perfect vantage point of the scenery as the train wends through the Andes. The observation car with an outdoor terrace becomes the social hub of the train by night; a place to enjoy a pisco sour and dance to live Latin music.
Executive Chef, Diego Muñoz, takes guests on a culinary journey of discovery with dishes prepared using Peru’s abundant natural ingredients, from traditional corn with cheese, to alpaca tortellini and a mouthwatering creation of lime with melted chocolate and apple custard. For a culinary experience to savour, the chef will host a ceviche class set against the backdrop of rolling Andes alongside the train.
Stepping off the train, experiences include a private tour of the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable water in the world, and lunch on a private beach with views across to the glacial peaks of La Paz, Bolivia, one of the most exceptional locations on earth.
To mark Belmond Andean Explorer’s inaugural departure, dramatic drone footage gives the world a glimpse of how it feels to soar through the Peruvian Andes as the train cuts through ‘Big Sky’ country along one of the world’s highest rail routes.