In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, on a small island near Iquitos where the river’s breath sets the rhythm of life, there grows a garden that tells the story of Delfin’s essence; a story of renewal, reciprocity, and care.
La Huerta Delfin was born quietly, from the desire to live in greater harmony with the land that sustains us.
Its nature is ephemeral: a seasonal garden that flourishes only during the dry months, for about four months each year. As the waters recede in June and July, seeds are planted; by November, when the rains return, the soil rests again beneath the flood.
This temporality defines its soul. La Huerta does not aim to regenerate or restore a permanent ecosystem. Instead, it reclaims land destined to vanish under rising waters, transforming it for a brief season into fertile ground that nourishes both people and imagination.
“Serve a cuisine that, by virtue of a chef’s creativity, is a statement and an expression of the uniqueness of a place and its biodiversity.”— Relais & Châteaux Manifesto
Guided by this principle, La Huerta stands as Delfin’s commitment to food that tells the story of its origin: cuisine shaped by soil, season, and community.
From Vision to Vital Soil
When Delfin first envisioned a self-sustaining garden near Al Frío y Al Fuego, our floating restaurant on the Itaya River, the goal was simple yet profound: to reconnect with the origins of every flavor served aboard our vessels.
The Amazon provides everything: fruits, herbs, roots, and the wisdom to use them. But industrial supply chains and modern convenience had distanced even the most mindful kitchens from the land’s natural cycles.
La Huerta became Delfin’s way of listening again to the soil, revaluing the slow rhythm of growth, and ensuring that our cuisine remained both authentically local and environmentally responsible.
Today, La Huerta Delfin provides around 25% of the regional fruits and vegetables used in our kitchens, and about 12% of total ingredients when coastal and imported products are included.
Its purpose is not scale, but meaning: each leaf and fruit adds freshness, traceability, and a sense of place to every dish; aligning our cuisine with the principles of responsible consumption and regenerative gastronomy.
Harvests of the River
Each season, La Huerta’s yields echo the forest’s abundance: ají dulce, camu camu, culantro, cacao saplings, tomatoes, lechugas, melón, and more.
These harvests are modest in number, yet immense in value: expressions of what luxury truly means in this context: freshness, proximity, and respect.
Every fruit carries a story; of hands, rain, and soil; a bridge between the river’s generosity and Delfin’s culinary artistry.
From Garden to Table
Our culinary philosophy is simple: what grows near the river should return to the table: transformed, but never disguised.
From paiche en hojas de bijao marinated with sacha culantro, to camu camu sorbets bright with forest vitality, every dish is both tribute and transformation; a dialogue between nature and creation.
The Circular Journey
Through Delfin’s waste management protocols, La Huerta forms part of a circular system that transforms organic waste from our vessels and restaurant kitchens into compost — nourishing the same soil that feeds our guests.
This cycle of return is a quiet embodiment of Delfin’s ethos: Woven by Nature, Crafted for You.
A Living Classroom
Beyond cultivation, La Huerta has become a space for learning.
Guests and local children explore its rows, discovering the medicinal and culinary uses of Amazonian plants. For our team, it is a tangible lesson in sustainability: a daily reminder that every choice, no matter how small, leaves an imprint on the ecosystem.
A Brief, Beautiful Season
Unlike regenerative forests, La Huerta lives in rhythm with the river’s flood pulse. It is designed to appear and disappear; to teach through impermanence.
This humility, of working with time, not against it, makes it one of Delfin’s most poetic projects.
It reveals that regeneration can also mean nourishment, connection, and gratitude, even when the cycle is fleeting.
Rooted in the Future
As Delfin continues to align its culinary vision with Relais & Châteaux’s commitments to biodiversity and locality, La Huerta will evolve; expanding the use of native herbs and medicinal plants, deepening collaboration with Amazonian agroecology experts, and strengthening its educational and gastronomic impact.
In every seed planted lies a reminder that even the briefest acts of cultivation can echo far beyond a season.