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Written by Savi, 27 Comments

We are on a bus that is ferrying us back to Lima, the capital of Peru. Outside we pass shanty towns, tiny Peruvian villages, an arid desert, walls plastered with political slogans but my eyes are still swimming with photographs and snippets from the past three days.

 

When we were planning our trip  to Peru, we were most excited about witnessing the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest and Machu Picchu – little did I know that some Peruvian vineyards tucked in an arid corner of the country would feature as one of the highlights of our trip.

 

Offbeat stay in a vineyard in Ica Peru
I’ll be honest – I didn’t even know Peru had vineyard hotels before I started researching for our trip

 

We have had plenty of Chilean and Argentinean wines but we hadn’t tasted Peruvian wine till we got to Peru. In Lima, every glass of wine we enjoyed was produced by Intipalka. Over a conversation with a local restaurant owner, we discovered that the Intipalka vineyards were on the way to Nazca Desert. So we had to check them out for ourselves! We promptly booked ourselves into the accompanying hotel and added a wine tasting session (complimentary for all hotel guests) to our order.

 

A four hour bus ride later we arrived at Vinas Queirolo. Now if you’ve ever dreamt of a place that has literally walked out of Pinterest, this is it! There really is no better way to describe it. White walls are adorned with lush pink bougainvillea, vines dripping out of pots, and arches framed by flowering creepers. Doorways boast of relics from a past time and vintage carriages add character to dreamy courtyards.

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Hotel Vinas Queirolo – an offbeat option in Ica, Peru

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
The pool at Hotel Vinas Queirolo with vineyards in the background

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
The walkways are adorned with vines and flowers

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
The hotel complex is a vision at night

 

Spacious rooms are decorated with a minimalist yet colourful aesthetic. The accompanying balconies are decorated with yet more plants, and a sort of Peruvian palm we saw everywhere we went. Sumptuous is probably the best way to describe Hotel Vinas Queirolo.

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Our room 🙂

 

Vineyard hotel in Peru Nazca
Our room at Vinas Queirolo – minimalist yet colourful 🙂

 

That afternoon we went on a tour of the vineyards -Vinas Queirolo owns over 800 acres of vineyards in the Peruvian countryside and they surround the hotel in a manner starkly reminiscent of Tuscany. Eight kinds of grapes are grown here and a number of wines and liquors are produced on site including an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon (my personal favourite) and the local Peruvian brandy Pisco.

 

At sunset, a couple of the hotel’s vans ferried guests to a panoramic viewpoint – a wee shed on top of a hill from where it’s possible to see hundreds of acres of vineyards and beyond. Hotel staff, with trays full of sparkling wine, were already waiting for guests. But it wasn’t just them. It was almost as if the sun too was waiting for us – it began to dip in the horizon as soon as we took the first sip from our glasses. For the next half an hour all guests stared at the gradual sunset over the vineyards. Garrulous conversations gave way to faint murmurs and then complete silence – such was the beauty of the sunset. See it for yourself:

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Sunset overlooking 800 acres of vineyards

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Sunset overlooking vineyards Part Deux 🙂

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Wine tasting? Yes please 😀

 

Next morning I discovered my favourite part at Hotel Vinas Queirolo – the breakfast area cum restaurant. A spacious room held together with the prettiest white metallic poles and glass panes, adorned with delicate lamps, chandeliers, and an unending balcony overlooking the vineyards. It’s safe to say breakfast turned to brunches most days – neither of us wanted to move from the balcony. If I lived in Peru this is where I’d have my birthday parties!!

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
The in-house restaurant at Hotel Vinas Queirolo. Vintage catalogue or Pinterest – you decide!! 🙂

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
The restaurant’s patio, overlooking the vineyards

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
It’s not just the wine – the food is yummy too 🙂

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
It’s the li’l details 🙂

 

Breakfast comprised of an array of cold cuts, artisan cheeses, gourmet breads, and loads of unsweetened fresh fruit juice (as an aside fresh fruit juice has to be my favourite part about travelling in Peru – it’s everywhere!). Now I would love to tell you we explored the area and surroundings but truth be told Hotel Vinas Queirolo seduced us into lingering on in the hotel premises longer than we intended. We nipped out for a day to explore the Nazca lines (an incredible experience!!) and an evening in Huacachina, but other than that we hung around in the vineyards educating ourselves about different kinds of wine and testing them out, taking photographs and long walks in the seemingly endless vineyards, and wearing flower crowns and twirling because sometimes that’s just what the doctor prescribed!! 🙂

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
The hotel is a perfect base to explore the mysterious Nazca Lines

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Don’t forget to visit Huacachina, a tiny oasis in the middle of the desert

 

Vineyard hotel in Ica Peru
Prancing in vineyards, just because….!!

 

If you want a virtual tour of Hotel Vinas Queirolo, check out our vlog from there:

 

FACT FILE

  • Ica is four hours away from Lima. You can opt for a private transfer that costs around $100 (£65) or take a bus from Lima for $25 (17). We took a Peru Hop bus from Lima to Ica.
  • Hotel Vinas Queirolo offers transfers from the Ica bus station
  • We suggest staying at Vinas Queirolo for 3 nights – it’s the perfect base for exploring Nazca lines and Huacachina.
  • Rooms are clean, comfortable, well decorated, and extremely spacious. Prices start at £120 (we got a great promotional deal for 3 nights, so it’s worth checking for offers). Room rates include the cost of wine tasting, breakfast, and a tour of their vineyards. More information on their website www.hotelvinasqueirolo.com

 

Have you ever discovered an offbeat gem on your travels? Tell us in the comments below 😀

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Planning a trip to Peru? Read our Ultimate Itinerary for Peru.

Fond of unique accommodation? We’ve written loads about our favourite hotels from around the world

27 thoughts on “A romantic getaway amidst Peruvian vineyards in Ica, Peru

  1. Absolutely love the pic with the view of the sun through the lens of a wine glass! Love your Peru itinerary, you are making me choose a trip to Peru over a trip to Europe this summer 🙂 Keep them coming 😀

    1. Thanks Rekha – I have to be honest, that’s one of my favourite photos too. Go to Peru – I promise you won’t regret it 😀

  2. Loved the pictures. Peru goes to my bucket list. Out of all the countries you visited so far if each of you have to list your top 5 shat woukd they be? Mine are Turkey, Czech republic,, Switzerland, kenya and indonesia. Keep the blog flowing. Love to u both.

    1. Hey Andy,

      We’d love to visit Kenya sometime soon 🙂

      Ours would be Iceland, South Africa, Croatia, Indonesia, and Finland!

  3. When I was researching our trip to Peru next month, I came across this post and you have convinced me to check this place out! Your pictures are beautiful.

    1. Dear Andrea, we are happy to know that our post on Peru was of help to you in planning your trip there.Hope you have a great one!!Happy travels.And thanks for liking what we clicked:) 🙂

  4. Hi! I am so happy I came across your blog I am planning a similar trip to Peru in May! We are staying at the Amazon Villa for 2 nights and I am SO excited! I am riding with Peru hop from Lima to Cusco and stopping along the way.. I have fallen in love with this hotel and winery thanks to your blog .. I can’t seem to find a peruhop bus that goes straight to Ica though! Did you have to get picked up in Huacachina by a taxi?

    1. Hey Chelsea,

      Thank you so much – so happy to hear you enjoyed our article and recommendations 🙂

      Yes, PeruHop will drop you at Huacachina – we spent some time at the dunes post which the taxi (pre-arranged with the hotel) picked us from Huacachina and brought us to the hotel in Ica.

      Have a great trip and do share photos from there 🙂

      Cheers

  5. Hi
    I am planning a trip to Peru in December.I see you used PeruHop to travel from Lima to HUACACHINA.But I do not see any buses from Lima to HUACACHINA directly and see day trips which also includes sight seeing and costing around $119.Did you also do the same thing?

    Thanks

    1. Hi Bhavana,

      As we had a pass with Peru Hop, we were able to get off in Huacachina (you are allowed to break the journey). We did not opt for the day trip option.

      Alternatively, you can also look at Cruz Del Sur where you can book a bus trip from Lima to Ica (for Huacachina) 🙂

      Hope that helps.

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