The most important Peruvian cuisine event will take place on Lima's seafront Costa Verde in the district of Magdalena. This edition will feature ‘water and aquatic resources’ as the theme. Mistura 2012 closed with record half a million visitors in its eleven day fair. And at least a million people are expected to attend this year’s fair. Again the ‘Gran Mercado’ will be a core section of the event. The Grand Market is conceived a place where large and small farmers from a variety of regions of Peru come together to show their flagship products. See some of our pictures of MISTURA 2012

The iconic port city of Valparaiso, 120 km west from Santiago de Chile, was voted one of the most colorful cities in the world by the magazine ‘Travel + Leisure’. The destination is known by the creative spirit of its inhabitants, which manifests itself in the vibrant colors of its colorful houses. Valparaiso, the only Chilean city with a historic area declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts a fascinating diversity of Art Nouveau palaces and Victorian villas alongside narrow labyrinths and staircases. Here, you’ll find one of Pablo Neruda’s houses ‘La Sebastiana’. Last but not least the Dakar Rally 2014 will finish in this charming city on January 18th. Definitely here are your coordinates for finding the pulse of Chile’s most authentic city. See some of the pictures of our last inspection trip .

Good news for the Peruvian gastronomy. The restaurant in Lima Astrid & Gaston was ranked fourteenth, 21 places higher than in 2012, making it the highest climber on the list. Besides the Limenan restaurant Malabar the list included ‘Central’ for the first time. Based also in Lima Central, the restaurant of chef Virgilio Martinez, ranked 50th. The ranking is based on ratings from an academy of over 900 international leaders in the restaurant industry. The three restaurants are included in our itineraries for foodies.

Last year the famed Peruvian photographer Mario Testino, one of the most influential in the world, presented his last project, ‘MATE’, a non-profit culture organization in the bohemian district of Lima, Barranco. Housed in a beautifully restored Republican mansion, MATE, aims at showcasing not only Testino’s photographs but also the work of young artists. Don’t miss the chance to visit MATE’s newest exhibition ‘Alta Moda’. Twentyseven large-scale photographs display people from Cusco in native and colorful costumes photographed by Testino. The collection also features several original dress designs on forms created by Galliano for Dior. The exhibit runs from April to December 2013.

PeruRail has announced that the normal train service from/to Poroy will be resumed just on June 30th. As in previous years the rainy season has affected the normal operation of trains departing from Poroy (15 min drive from Cusco city). In consequence passengers with train tickets issued from or to Poroy are doing half the way by buses arranged by PeruRail. Buses leave from Wanchaq Station (located within Cusco city) to Pachar station (5 km from Ollanta station). Passengers of the luxurious ‘Hiram Bingham‘ train arrive to the station at Rio Sagrado Hotel (instead of Pachar station). Rio Sagrado, an Orient Express property, is located 15 km from Ollanta Station. Departure and arrival time from/to Wanchaq is 25 minutes earlier/later than from Poroy.

Lima has a new 5* hotel. Last week Hilton officially opened its first property in the country. Its décor include some elements inspired in Lima’s architecture. Its 207 guest rooms feature woodwork reminiscent to the wooden balconies encased with lattice windows of Lima’s colonial time. Of Arab origin these balconies are Lima’s most distinctive colonial symbol. The hotel’s highlight is definitely the outdoor pool on the rooftop terrace with views of Lima and the sea. Its ‘Social’ restaurant strives to stress its unique selling proposal with dishes of Peruvian-American fusion. Click here to see our first pictures from the new Hilton.

Due to the relevance for tourism the local authorities in Cusco have built a provisional bridge just 120 meters from the one that was seriously damaged last December in the Sacred Valley. The bridge ‘Acrow’ was inaugurated on January 21st and the transit of vans and coaches through Chincheros could have been resumed. Consequently itineraries including Maras, Moray and/or Chincheros can be again offered.

During our last hotel inspection in Cusco we took chance to visit the brand new JW Marriott. We were positively surprised – the JW Marriott not only fulfills international standards of a luxurious hotel. It also boasts some local elements that confer the property its own character despite belonging to an international chain. Click here to see our fact sheet and our pictures.