From the Pacific Coast to the Amazon Rainforest
Curated by José Koechlin, the Routes du Bonheur for Peru by Relais & Châteaux offer a deeply considered journey through the country’s most meaningful landscapes. From Lima’s coastal elegance to the highlands of Cusco, the sacred ruins of Machu Picchu, and onward to the profound stillness of the Amazon.
This route is more than an itinerary; It is a cultural composition.
Shaped by a lifelong commitment to conservation, knowledge, and place-based hospitality, the Peruvian Routes du Bonheur connect destinations that share a common philosophy. Travel as stewardship. Luxury with purpose. Hospitality rooted in cultural and ecological respect.
At Delfín Amazon Cruises, we are honored to be part of this route, one that presents Peru not as a series of stops, but as a continuous cultural and natural narrative guided by one of the country’s most influential visionaries.
José Koechlin
The Visionary Who Planted the Seeds of Regenerative Travel in Peru.
In the heart of Peru, where the Andes meet the Amazon and history breathes through stone and forest, few figures have shaped the country’s tourism landscape as quietly and profoundly as José Koechlin von Stein, founder and president of Inkaterra.
Long before ecotourism became a global concept, Koechlin envisioned a form of hospitality that would serve not only travelers, but also the land and the communities who call it home. Nearly five decades later, that vision stands as one of the foundations of Peru’s identity as a global leader in sustainable and cultural tourism.
A Pioneer Ahead of His Time
When Inkaterra was founded in 1975, Peru’s tourism narrative revolved primarily around its archaeological wonders. Its extraordinary biodiversity and living cultures remained largely absent from the global travel imagination.
Koechlin understood that conservation required more than protection. It required value, knowledge, and participation. His approach was radical for its time. Luxury could coexist with scientific research, environmental stewardship, and cultural preservation.
Since 1978, the Inkaterra Asociación has documented thousands of species across Peru’s ecosystems, contributing to the discovery of more than seventeen species new to science. Under his guidance, cloud forests were restored, vast areas of Amazon rainforest were sustainably managed, and hundreds of local artisans, naturalists, and field researchers were trained, creating long-term livelihoods rooted in place.
Every Inkaterra property became a living classroom. Guests walk among orchids catalogued by scientists, awaken to the calls of endemic birds, and dine on native ingredients cultivated in regenerative gardens. In doing so, they become part of a lifelong experiment that proves hospitality can educate, protect, and restore.
A Life Interwoven with Culture and Conservation
Koechlin’s influence extends far beyond hospitality. As a film producer, he collaborated with Werner Herzog on Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, bringing the raw power of the Amazon to global audiences. As a publisher, he supported landmark scientific and cultural works such as Cusco Amazónico and Flórula de la Reserva Ecológica Inkaterra, which remain essential references in biodiversity research.
His philosophy remains simple and enduring.
“El corazón del hotel es la gente. Realizar un sueño es muy difícil. Seamos prudentes, sí, pero no miedosos. Busquemos realizar nuestros sueños y darle sentido a la vida.”
Through this ethos, Inkaterra became more than a hotel group. It became a model of regenerative entrepreneurship where tourism is a tool for ecological and cultural renewal.
Relais and Châteaux
A Shared Language of Place.
It is no coincidence that Inkaterra is part of Relais and Châteaux, a global collection of independently owned hotels and restaurants united by the belief that hospitality is an art and that protecting local heritage is inseparable from excellence.
Founded in France in 1954, Relais and Châteaux brings together visionaries who share a commitment to authenticity, respect, and generosity, and to preserving the richness and diversity of the world through travel.
Within this shared framework, the Routes du Bonheur for Peru curated by José Koechlin connect places that embody these values, linking coast, mountains, forest, and river through a single, coherent vision.
A Route of Beauty, Purpose, and Belonging
For Delfín Amazon Cruises, the first Relais and Châteaux member to sail the Amazon River, this route resonates deeply.
Inkaterra and Delfín share a belief that luxury without purpose is incomplete. Both honor craftsmanship, whether expressed in the stone walls of Inkaterra La Casona or the weave of a Shipibo textile aboard Delfín. And both act as custodians of the Amazon, one anchored in the forest floor, the other gliding gently upon its waters.
The Routes du Bonheur for Peru weave these places into a single narrative shaped by beauty, responsibility, and belonging.
At Delfín Amazon Cruises, we are proud to be part of this living route and to uphold a shared promise with fellow members of Relais and Châteaux. To protect what is rare. To celebrate what is real. And to invite the world to experience Peru as it truly is.
