Peru’s new altiplano train ride
Belmond will launch the new service, from Cusco to Arequipa via Lake Titicaca, in May 2017.
Travellers can choose from a range of itineraries. Luxury services will include two dining cars and an open deck observatory.
More than most countries, Peru lends itself to long, slow train rides. Yet despite our nation’s dazzling landscapes, especially in the Andes, the only train service, luxury or otherwise, offered in the country has been the short trip up the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Until now. Belmond, the luxury hotel and tour operator, will be addressing the gap in the market by launching its own train service that takes in some of Peru’s most memorable scenery.
From May 2017, guests will be able to enjoy the Belmond Andean Explorer as it shuttles from Cusco, the old Inca capital, to Arequipa, Peru’s picturesque third city in the southern Andes, via Lake Titicaca. Itineraries will include one, two and three-day voyages, going in both directions. Travelers can either do the entire journey or stop halfway, in Puno, beside Titicaca’s dark, shimmering waters.
As you travel, you can drink in stunning vistas of snowcapped mountains, llamas and alpacas grazing on the Altiplano, or high plains, and, of course the world’s highest navigable lake. Stops will include a visit to the Sumbay Caves, home to surviving rock art from some of the first humans to set foot in this remote part of the Andes.
Amenities on offer will include the Explorer’s two sumptuous dining carriages and its open air observatory where you can take a bracing gulp of mountain air. The menus have been created by the chefs at Belmond’s flagship Monasterio Hotel in Cusco. There will also be a lounge car while the cabins will come as doubles and suites, each with an en-suite and shower. Just when it seemed that Peru was already overflowing with perfect locations to enjoy a cocktail at dusk, a pisco sour perhaps, Belmond has added one more.
To journey on the Belmond Andean Explorer as part of your unique, individually tailored itinerary, contact the Peru Empire Company at travel@pec.pe or on +51-1-700-5100 or, if you are in the US, 347-713-7030/34.
