CORDILLERA BLANCA
Stay:
Llanganacu Mountain Lodge
Sometimes luxury isn’t all about the thread count (although the linens here are lovely). For this fully sustainable eco-lodge, it’s all about location. Perched on top of the Callejón de Huaylas Valley, across from the sweeping Cordillera Negras and tucked right between Mts. Huandoy and Huascarán, Peru’s first and third highest peaks, LML is, quite literally, situated on a slice of heaven. llanganucomountainlodge.com
Rates:
The matrimonial suite costs $219 per night with a two-night minimum. This rate covers a double occupancy and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a custom trekking itinerary and expert advice for adventuring in the park. Trekking guides, taxis and alcohol are additional.
How to get there:
There are once daily flights from Lima to Anta on LC Peru. Or, take the scenic route by hiring a bilingual driver from Lima-based tour operator Pax on Board. From Lima it’s an 8-hour trip up through the Blanca’s splendid companion range, the Cordillera Negra, a drive you will not soon forget.
LIMA
Stay:
After a few days of scaling mountains, you’ve earned a more traditional version of a luxury experience. You will find it at the pristine Hotel B located in Lima’s bohemian Barranco district. Once a private family home, this 1914 mansion has been painstakingly renovated into a beautiful oasis for the weary traveler. The building is an architectural gem with its ornate façade, vaulted ceilings and Italian marble work, all of which now serve to set off an impressive showing of contemporary Latin American artists. Every detail delights, from the turndown treats to the silk black ties left in each room. (A tie around the doorknob indicates a cheeky “do not disturb.”) The restaurant and service are unsurprisingly first rate. Indeed, the night we returned from the mountains, the lobby was lit up with candlelight and filled with the sound of clinking champagne glasses as a large dinner party of Limeños ballyhooed into the night. Hotel B is bohemian chic—heavy on the chic.
Rates:
Begin at $450 for a standard double room including breakfast and tea time.
How to get there:
LAN Airlines currently has 42 nonstop flights from four US cities: New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando, most of which are overnight. With flat beds in business class and no major time change, travel to Peru has the sincere bonus of being jet lag-free. Starting in May 2016, LAN will add Washington, DC to its list of direct flights, connecting the US capital to South America through Lima.
