Review: Puqio Hotel (Colca Canyon, Peru)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Last summer, I enjoyed a terrific holiday in Peru. You can read my trip reports here:

Review: KLM (old) Business Class Boeing 777 from Amsterdam to Lima
Review: Central, world’s best restaurant 2023, Lima
Review: Cirqa Hotel, Arequipa
Review: Puqio Lodge, Colca Canyon (today)
Review: Titilaka Hotel, Lake Titicaca
Review: Titicaca Luxury Train, from Puno to Cusco
Review: Explora Valle Sagrado, Sacred Valley
Review: Rio Sagrado, a Belmond Hotel, Sacred Valley
Review: Hiram Bingham, a Belmond Train, from Cusco to Machu Picchu
Review: Sanctuary Lodge, a Belmond Hotel, Machu Picchu
Review: Inca trail to Machu Picchu
Review: Fausto Hotel, Lima
Review: KLM (new) Business Class Boeing 777 from Lima to Amsterdam

Today: Review of Puqio Hotel (Colca Canyon, Peru)

Hotel website: Puqio
Location: Google maps

Puqio, a luxury tented camp nestled deep in Peru’s captivating Colca Valley, offers an extraordinary retreat that celebrates the simplicity and beauty of nature. The tented camp invites you to slow down, embrace the Andean-style exploration, and immerse yourself in the surrounding landscape and local traditions. Three distinct room categories – Pirca, Carpa, and Carpa Refugio – offer alternative ways to experience the valley with distinct views of the surrounding terrain. Gastronomic experience include sauthentic Andean flavors prepared in clay ovens and over open flames. Fuming volcanoes, sweeping grasslands, and untrodden pathways await daily exploration. At night, rustic elegance rejuvenates body and spirit of the experienced traveler.

Puqio features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Peru.

Have you ever stayed at Puqio? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

In this review (more info and photos below my YouTube video):

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Puqio is a peaceful exploration camp located near Peru’s third most visited tourist destination, the Colca Canyon. The Colca Canyon is known as one of the deepest canyons in the world, reaching a maximum depth of around 3,400 meters (11,150 feet) from the rim of the Canyon to the bottom of the valley (twice the depth of the Grand Canyon). The main draw of the Canyon are its viewpoints, scenic hikes and hot springs. The Colca Canyon is a privileged vantage point from which to observe the majestic Andean condor; with a wingspan of over 3 meters (10 feet), the Andean Condor is considered the largest flying bird in the world.

The Colca Valley is a 3 hour drive from the city of Arequipa (private transfers can be arranged by the hotel). The drive from Arequipa to Puqio is pleasant, scenic journey and offers a chance to appreciate the beautiful high- altitude landscapes of the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve. Several active volcanoes can be seen along the way and large herds of beautiful alpacas and vicunas are frequently spotted by the side of the road. Several stops are made along the way, including a stop at the Patapampa pass (4910 m, 16,108 ft), which is surrounded by the peaks of the three impressive volcanoes Ampato, Sabancayo y Hualca-Hualca.

Puqio is nestled on a hillslope in a tranquil corner of the Colca Valley, about a 45 min drive from the canyon’s most famous viewpoints. The area around Puqio is dotted with small, picturesque villages – such as Chivay, Yanque and Cabanaconde – that seem to be stuck in time. These village were founded in Spanish colonial times and are still inhabited by people of the Collagua and the Cabana cultures. The local people of these villages maintain their ancestral traditions – for example, women are still dressed in elaborately adorned traditional skirts – and continue to cultivate the pre-Inca stepped terraces – called andenes – on the surrounding mountains.

Puqio is a small boutique hotel and in many ways, it feels more like a rural Peruvian casitas than a true hotel, all adding to a sense of place in this remote corner of Peru. The main pavilion of Puqio houses a dining room, a couple of seating areas centered coffee tables, and an open fire. The front terrace of the pavilion houses an open-air dining areas that is used for traditional barbeque dinners, while the backside features and expansive terrace with some lounge chair from where to soak in the views and the sunset. Beyond the main pavilions are the eight rooms – four tents and four adobe huts – which are scattered throughout the resort grounds (more on that below).

Puqio offers only eight rustic yet elegant rooms, hosting just 16 travelers at a time. There are three room categories to choose from: Pirca, Carpa & Carpa Refugio. The two carpa rooms are spacious tents offering outdoor terraces, woodburning stoves, an outdoor bathtub, and both indoor & outdoor showers. Inspired by the original canvas tents of first Andean explorers, each is crafted with rugged canvas to protect guestss from the elements. The two carpa refugios are the most commanding of the canvas tents, each boasting a sizable indoor living area and terrace, a wood-burning stove, and a separate mud room. The four pirqa rooms are housed in adobe huts and offer the same amenities as the carpa tents as well as the best views of the valley.

Rates at Puqio are fully inclusive, including lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner with wine and cocktails, afternoon tea, drinks and in-room snacks. Food at the lodge is delicious and the portions are generous. Here, corn is harvested by local hands and freshly baked bread is kneaded with a knowing touch. Each family-style meal is crafted using traditional methods and the freshest produce available in the local terroir, creating a completely authentic and inspired culinary offering. Some dining experiences at Puqio feature meals cooked in clay ovens and open flames, highlighting the traditions of the Andes. This is farm-to-table dining, Andean style, at its best. Plus, with no menus, family-style servings remind each guest of the rich simplicity of living from the land.

Set in a quiet, unexplored corner of the famous Andean valley, Puqio is an exploration hub offering its guests immersive excursions that capture the essence and mysticism of the magnificent Colca Canyon, a must-see destination in Southern Peru. The lodge offers multiple excursions to the canyon’s viewpoints and the condor lookout, in varying durations, as well as shorter activities around the tented camp. A guests exploration will vary depending on their preferences. Favorite experiences include horseback riding, soaking in the local hot springs, and visiting some of the best textile weavers in the Andes. Guests can also visit the charming towns of Sibayo, Tutti, and Chivay.

Cirqa is managed by Andean, the Peruvian luxury travel company who reinvents the art of travel in the country by showcasing the true essence of Peru through inspiring destinations, innovative accommodations, and authentic experiences. As an industry pioneer in the design and development of owner-managed hotels and carefree travel, Andean takes guests on journeys from the historic vibrancy of the city to the timeless serenity of Peru’s unspoiled side. Each experience is complemented by seamless serendipity, remarkable local cuisine, nourishment for the soul, and an understated elegance that is uniquely Peruvian. Andean manages three other hotels, offering a neat circuit known as the Southern Peru Travesia: Lima, Arequipa, the Colca Canyona and Lake Titicaca.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Wellness facilities at Puqio are limited. There is no pool, no gym and no spa (although I was informed that the Andean management is considering adding a spa facility in the near future). However, the boutique property does offer a hot tub, which is located on a terrace just below the main property, boasting some lovely views of the Colca Valley (including views of the sunset). It’s a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing.

Travelers should be aware of altitude sickness when visiting Puqio and the Colca Canyon. As the area is located at elevations greater than 10,000 ft (3.000 m), some travelers might encounter symptoms like headache, nausea, tiredness, and shortness of breath. However, Puqio’s team is always able to assist and make you comfortable in case you would suffer from altitude sickness.

Puqio is located in the Colca Valley, which is a 45 min drive from the Colca Canyon and its spectacular view points. Although the lodge does offer excursions to the view points, it currently does not offer the option of hiking within the canyon itself (which is the main draw for many visitors to this part of Peru). I was able to arrange a hike by myself though: a taxi picked me up at 6 am at Puqio and brough me to the the village of Cabanaconde (after watching the condors at the view point), from where I started a non-guide, 5-hour hike to Llahuar on the bottom of the Colca Canyon. Here, the same taxi company arranged a 4×4 to pick me up and take me back to the lodge (a 90 min drive), where I arrived again at 6 pm. I would suggest that Puqio would try to include these type of hikes in its future excursion program (by collaborating with locals), since it’s an activity that many travelers might be interested in.

Puqio features only 8 rooms (4 adobe huts and 4 tents). The four adobe huts (pirca rooms) and two of the tents (carpa refugio) are located on the front row of the hillslope, offering spectacular views of the valley, especially during the sunset. However, the two other tents (carpa) are a bit set back and, and they do not enjoy a view of the valley, but rather look out over the resort grounds and the other accommodations. If a view is what you are after, make sure to book a pirca or a capra refugio.

MY VERDICT

Location: 8/10
Design: 8/10
Pool: n/a
Rooms: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Breakfast:9 /10
Spa: n/a
Service: 10/10
Wow factor: 9/10
Value for money: 9/10
Overall experience: very good 8,6/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Save money: read here my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel like Puqio (and/or receive many free perks).

Itinerary tip: Puqio is an extension to Titilaka by Andean (Lake Titicaca) and Cirqa by Andean (Arequipa) along the southern Peru route, the first offering of its kind in the region. You can contact Andean to create a customized trip for you in this awesome region of Peru.

Read my tips for preparing your trip in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Although it is possible to visit the Colca Canyon any time of year, it’s advisable to travel between April and November, when most days offer clear and sunny weather, resulting in spectacular views, and condor sightings.