Andean Lodges: bringing together native Andean communities and visitors in Peru’s amazingly beautiful mountains

At Andean Lodges we have a deep and abiding passion for the land that surround us, the Andes Mountains of Peru.
As native Peruvians, we feel closely connected to our rich legacy of Andean culture, and to the Andean people who still preserve the wonderful customs and traditions they have inherited from our Inca and pre-Inca ancestors.
We’re sure that visitors to the Andean region also experience the fascination that we feel.
That is one reason why we do this, to share with visitors from around the world the extraordinary enchantment of the Andes Mountains and its people.
But we don’t stop there. In creating our business, we knew that offering and organizing first-rate trips and treks would not be enough.
Thus, the native Andean communities we work with are essential members of our venture, and the company is fully committed to their well being and economic prosperity.
Through our close working partnership, the local Andean communities provide the knowledge and skills that make Andean Lodges one of the best possible choices for trekking and exploring in the Andes.
As you trek with Andean Lodges, Quechua villagers from the Mt. Apu Ausangate region will accompany you along every step of the way.
This is their land, which they know intimately. Andean community members drive the llama caravans that transport the baggage and gear and provide the hospitality services and delicious food we offer at each of our four cozy eco-lodges.
As you relax at each lodge after a great day of hiking, they’ll share with you their cultural traditions, such as their beautiful weavings, dances and songs, and their stories and myths.
All this provides our visitors with unforgettable moments and moving experiences of cultural connection.
Visitors take with them memories of the Andes  and its people that they’ll forever cherish, along with a new understanding of the world.
So, you might be wondering- how does Andean Lodges do this? Is this a genuine and effective approach toward sustainable community-based ecotourism? And how environmentally friendly is such a business venture?
Andean Lodges represents a joint venture with full participation the local Andean communities.
Local native people, as trip operators, lodge managers, land owners and ultimate decision-makers, are the company itself. Our Cusco-based main office works for their benefit.
Over the years, Andean Lodges has generated a great number of jobs for the Quechua villagers of Chillca and Osefina, the two main communities of the Ausangate region.
Initially, villagers took part in the construction of our eco-lodges.
Today, our llama herders, cooks, housekeepers, maintenance personnel and others have well-paying job positions and benefits through our company.
To meet this goal, training programs for our workers are held constantly, taught by experts in their field. Our cooks are trained at some of the best restaurants in Cusco.
Our guides and llama caravan drivers are given state-of-the-art safety workshops and emergency training.
Workshops in hospitality services help workers gain new job skills that they can apply in the growing tourism industry.
In sum, we’re fully committed to improving the lives of the local native Quechua communities that have so kindly welcomed us over the years.
We put principles of environmental sustainability into practice into all aspects of our operation, as we strive to have minimal impacts on the pristine mountains.
We recycle and remove all used materials, avoid waste disposal on the land, and use eco-friendly cleaning supplies. We periodically carry out trail clean-ups.
We survey the local flora and fauna to ensure their conservation. And we’re planning future environmental conservation projects with the local communities.
Finally, to address the growing problem of global climate disruption, we’re committed to offsetting all the carbon emissions we generate through our association with the REGENERA project.
This works to conserve forests and promote sustainable reforestation in Peru’s Amazon rainforest.
While working proactively and keeping these goals in mind, Andean Lodges’ key mission remains bringing people from different cultures of the world together.
They learn from each other, and to experience nature in one of the world’s most magnificent landscapes – Cusco and its surrounding Andes Mountains.