We are sad to announce that Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel’s resident biologist Carmen Soto passed away on February 10. “Beloved by researchers, fellow workers and travelers alike, Carmen’s guidance across the property’s trails will be deeply missed, whilst her legacy will keep inspiring us all,” said Inkaterra founder José Koechlin.

Petite yet big-hearted, sweet-voiced Carmen was always willing to share secrets of the Andean cloud forest, with a sheer, contagious enthusiasm towards the birds she discerned through her perfect pitch. Always carrying her magnifying glass to stop at the tiniest orchids, Carmen had an encyclopedic knowledge of the 372 native species found within property, many of which she helped describe as new to science.

A graduate of the University of San Antonio Abad (Cusco) in Biology, Carmen Soto was member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Management Committee of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. Carmen was essential to the longtime alliance between the Smithsonian Institution and Inkaterra Asociación, as she oversaw the Andean Bear Conservation Center, which benefited the only bear species native to South America. In 2015, she visited the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. to develop a strategy for conservation and management of the captive and wild populations of Andean bears in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary – now considered a case study on wildlife management.

Carmen’s commitment towards Machu Picchu also manifested through the workshops she organized every summer vacation for local school children – whom she saw as ambassadors of environmental care.

In 2019, El Comercio newspaper printed an enchanting profile on Carmen Soto’s key influence on the conservation of birds, orchids and Andean bears native to the Machu Picchu cloud forest. “In only twenty minutes, the biologist shared twenty years of experience,” writer Jaime Bedoya recalled. “She did not want to mention it, but among over 370 orchid species treasured within the reserve, there was one named after her – the Brachionidium carmeniae luer. An orchid that grows over 3000 meters and produces a flower with a diameter of just 1.5cm. A flower – small and unique as Ms. Carmen.”

VOTE FOR INKATERRA HOTELS AT THE
TRAVEL + LEISURE 2021 WORLD’S BEST AWARDS

Your invaluable support allows the nomination of five Inkaterra properties at the prestigious Travel + Leisure 2021 World’s Best Awards (American Express Group), inviting readers to rate the leading brands in the travel industry.

“We are deeply thankful for this new nomination encouraged by Travel + Leisure readers, who last year voted Inkaterra as best hotel brand in South America. It is a celebration of our 45-year history since we pioneered ecotourism in Peru, with research, conservation and sustainability at the very core of our business,” declared Inkaterra founder José Koechlin.

Nominated properties in the Cusco region are Inkaterra La Casona, Peru’s first Relais & Châteaux property; the gracious Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, tucked away in the Andean cloud forest; and Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, established amid the evergreen mountains of the Sacred Valley. Nominated lodges in the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios are Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, an eco-luxury lodge inspired by the Ese’Eja culture; and Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción, established near the majestic Lake Sandoval, a water mirror inhabited by howler monkeys, caimans and river otters.

Vote here until May 10 and you will be entered into Travel + Leisure’s giveaway for a chance to win a dream trip for two worth $10,000, planned by a T+L A-List Advisor.