Unexpected Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Cusco, Peru

In Peru, Valentine’s Day is often referred to as the Day of Friendship, and celebrates a broader range of relationships than just romantic ones. Whether your travel companion is your romantic partner or not, why not show them how much they’re appreciated by enjoying one of these unique Valentine’s Day adventures in Cusco, Peru?

What to Do

Whip Up Some Bonbons from Raw Cacao at the Chocomuseo

Cacao is grown in the Cusco region, especially around nearby Urubamba. Don’t just buy some chocolates for your partner, make an afternoon of it instead by visiting the Chocomuseo and taking a cacao-bean-to-chocolate-bar workshop that begins with you roasting fresh cacao beans and pounding them into a paste and ends with a collection of chocolates of your own making. The museum itself is free but quite small, with the workshops and their café being the larger draw.

Take a Cooking Class Together

Another nice way to spend the afternoon is to sign up for a cooking class, which will take you to the traditional market and provide an introduction to local produce. Then, it’s back to the kitchen to learn how to make some Peruvian dishes like lomo saltado or ceviche. Not only is it a fun, informative way to spend the day, but you’ll be able to take some of what you’ve learned back with you to your home country afterwards. Various restaurants participate in offering classes, with the most popular being Marcelo Batata.

Take a Leap of Faith

Perhaps cooking or making chocolates is too sedate for you. If you long for adventure, then just look to Adventure Park to satisfy that longing. It’s located just seven miles outside of Cusco city proper, and it offers, among other thrills, the highest bungee jump in South America. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete a jump, and the park is open from Sunday to Friday from 9am to 1pm and from 1:30pm to 5pm.

Sleep with Your Head in the Clouds

If you’d like an unforgettable, inimitable experience, and don’t mind paying quite a bit for it, then the Skylodge may be for you. It consists of a series of capsules suspended 400ft above the floor of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, offering stunning views. The views aren’t wasted, either, as each ‘room’, or capsule, is see-through To reach the hotel, you have to climb a rock face with the help of iron rungs (a pathway known as the via ferrata). They’re small, but packed with the amenities one expects from a hotel room. Dinner and wine will be brought up to you. After a night spent at the hotel, you can zipline back down to the valley. At around US$300 a night, it isn’t cheap, but it will probably be the most exiting Valentine’s Day of your life.

What to Try

If you’re in the market for some sweets and liquor for a romantic Valentine’s Day, then try it the Peruvian way. Peru is the birthplace of Pisco, the country’s banner drink, and a sweet known as tejas. Since colonial times, these artisan candies have been formed by enclosing a filling of firm dulce de leche (a milky caramel) and dried fruits or nuts with white fondant. Over the years, liquor and other additions were added, and since the ‘50s there’s a chocotejas variation with chocolate. They’re presented wrapped in tissue paper, and alongside some pisco sours, Peru’s national cocktail, they’ll make the perfect Valentine’s treat!