Engage in Vicos' authentic culture
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| Engage in Vicos' authentic culture |
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Vicos is an authentic Andean community, which has hosted many satisfied travelers since 2002. Previous visitors praise the great hospitality, the authentic culture and its beautiful surroundings. Your local hosts will take you hiking whilst you learn about medicinal plants. They will receive you in their house, bake bread in their adobe oven for you. By the heat of their chimney, they will tell you ancient myths and legends of their ancestors. Vicos is the experience that today's curious traveller is looking for! Become part of your Andean family now; contact RESPONS for programs, prices and more details!
The sustainable community-based tourism project 'Cuyaquiwayi ' ('Beautiful House' in Quechua) was started by The Mountain Institute in 1999 to provide a sustainable alternative source of income to the Vicos inhabitants. The project received its first tourists in May 2002 and since then many national and international visitors lived this profound Andean experience.
In November 2010, the Cuyaqui Wayi tourism committee of Vicos was almost recognized with a Responsible Tourism Award at the World Travel Market 2010 in London as "Best Accommodation for Local Communities"!
Finally, Vicos became highly recommended by the jury, consisting of thirteen responsible tourism hot-shots, headed by professor Harold Goodwin. The judges said: "The community members of Cuyaqui Wayi Vicos in Peru have embraced their own cultural identity as a tool for establishing a positive relationship with the outside world through tourism. Following a period of isolation and exploitation by outsiders, they have rediscovered their own cultural practices and established a homestay programme owned and operated by eight local families that allows them to communicate cultural traditions to travellers on their own terms." Thank you judges!
(Read more about the responsible tourism awards here: www.responsibletourismawards.com)
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Hiking, working on the fields or exploring ruins? Find out which activities you can undertake in Vicos here. For a (satellite) map of Vicos, click here. |
Guinea pig on a stick, potatoes cooked underground and hot drinks of forbidden grains? Find out about our special drinks & dishes here! |
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In Vicos seven beautiful guesthouses are located next to the host families. Find out more about the accommodation and their location here! |
Children’s urine to beat diseases? Hmmmm... Learn more about traditional medicines here! |
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What do I pay, what is in- and excluded, and what does the community get? Find out about our prices here.
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Dear Visitor,
The Cuyaquihuayi Tourism Project in Vicos started in 2001, when we invited the NGO The Mountain Institute to start a sustainable community-based tourism project in our village. This NGO strengthened our capacities in tourism service, guiding, cooking hygienically, social aspects of the project, and so on. The first group of tourists visited our project in May 2002, which was a very special experience for us.
Since then we have received many tourists, who were all enchanted by their stay in our village. With the information on this site we want to show you why a visit to the community of Vicos is so interesting. We would be very glad with your visits, because it means we can help our families and our community to develop. Please stay with us, and let us share our beliefs and way of life with you.
Please check out this short video about Vicos (sorry, in Spanish)
“This homestay turned out to be one of the most authentic experiences I had during my
“A homestay is a chance to make more than a superficial connection with local villagers.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
