If you are deciding on a trip to Peru, one of the most important aspects of responsible and ethical travel is to not leave any negative impact on the places we are visiting. Peru travel, especially in the Cusco region, has been well touristed for many years due to the popularity of Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, for example. It is even debatable whether these remote Andean regions have been over-touristed. There is always a delicate balance between receiving income from tourism yet not causing harm to the magnificent history, culture, archaeological sites, Andean communities, and the environment on our travels. This is where the concept of “regenerative travel” comes to the forefront! Allow us to explain what Kallpa Travel is doing with regards to Regenerative Travel in the Cusco region and how you can be a responsible, ethical traveler when traveling on your Peru vacation packages.
Why Travel with Kallpa Travel?
When you travel with Kallpa Travel, you will leave only footprints. This is on the impressive treks and trails we walk, in the local communities we visit, and on the incredible scenery we will admire. In the magical Andes of Peru, a new approach to travel is taking root—one that minimizes harm and negative impact on the environment and actively contributes to the healing and protection of remote Andean ecosystems and the well-being of its people. Regenerative travel in the heart of the Cusco region is literally transforming lives.
Kallpa Travel offers authentic Peru tours to these remote Andean communities where you can immerse yourself in Andean culture, far away from the tourist crowds, while respecting the wonderful places you are visiting.
Allow us to introduce Agustín Sullcapuma and his family, who are leading a calm and quiet revolution in the remote Andean village of Chaullacocha. They are maintaining their traditions and regenerating them through a different type of tourism—one based on respect and authenticity for a travel experience that uplifts and heals.
What Is Regenerative Travel?
Regenerative travel goes one step beyond sustainability. While sustainable tourism is focused on reducing negative impact, regenerative travel asks you: How can we give back more than we take from these communities? Regenerative Travel is a form of travel that restores damaged rural mountain communities, their ecosystems, and the environment. Regenerative travel is based on community building and revives/encourages cultural traditions, thus leaving a community in a better state than how it was found.
In Peru, a country blessed with ancient archaeological sites and natural wonders, regenerative travel is so much more than just the latest travel trend! It’s an incredibly powerful tool to preserve ways of life that are slowly disappearing. It is also a way to support economic independence in rural communities and combat the growing challenges of climate change and migration to the cities.
Agustín’s Dream Is Using Tourism as Cultural Revival
Agustín Sullcapuma lives with his wife and four children. They have three older children and a two-year-old baby. The family lives in a remote Andean community in a humble home made of traditional stone, in the heart of the Andean highlands. He is a community leader with a quiet yet firm vision—which is to share his culture and way of life with travelers in a way that respects the past and builds hope and opportunities for the future generations.
Agustín’s daughter, Lusbrenda, is currently studying in Cusco to become a certified guide. Her dream is to return home and help travelers immerse themselves in the rich traditions and stories of her people, exposing her traditional Andean community and ancient beliefs to the outside world with joy and pride.
Her community, however, is not a museum frozen in time. With the help of Agustín and six other families, two of which are widows, travelers can experience real, authentic Andean life. These families work together to provide immersive rural homestay experiences that are rooted in the philosophy of “ayni,” which is the Andean belief of reciprocity.
What Makes This Travel Experience Regenerative?
At Agustín’s homestay, every traveler integrates as part of a delicate Andean ecosystem of ancestral cultural preservation, environmental responsibility, and local economic support.
Supporting The Economy of Local Andean Communities
For many families in Chaullacocha, temporary work in the nearby cities or as porters on the Inca Trail is the only source of income. With regenerative tourism, families are able to stay and work within the community and sustain their children by incorporating their values and ancestral knowledge and traditions. When you stay in their home, eat their food, and join in at their ceremonies, you are so much more than a visitor—you are a sustainable part of their everyday livelihood.
Maintaining Traditional Practices
Weaving, organic farming, llama herding, alpaca ceremonies, and traditional cooking are all activities in the day-to-day life in the community. Travelers can take part in activities that help preserve these ancestral skills passed down through the generations. You can learn how to prepare Andean dishes using ingredients from the family garden, go trout fishing in a local lake, or help harvest native crops from the family’s land. These are everyday activities in the community, not just for tourists! They are part of the family’s daily life, and they are happy to share real life with you, with openness and joy.
Reconnecting with Nature
The Andean cosmovision sees human beings and nature as one. Every mountain, river, and tree has spirit. Through regenerative travel, visitors gain a deeper understanding of this unique relationship from the inside—not as outsiders, but as humble participants. Ceremonies led by community members honor the Mother Earth, or Pachamama, and hikes through ancestral lands will remind you of the sacredness of these lands.
Opening a Digital Door to the World
While the village is found in an extremely remote location, technology is creating new connections. Internet access in the community has opened a portal to the world outside, allowing Agustín to keep in touch with his children while they are studying far away. He can also share his community’s story with travelers from around the globe. The community is one where the internet doesn’t replace connection; however, it actually complements it. Conversations continue to happen over shared meals, stories are still passed on through song and weaving designs, and children still play football and volleyball in the surrounding fields—you can still hear their laughter echoing across the valley.
Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
Massive tourism is placing unbearable pressure on iconic sites such as Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. These places are awe-inspiring, especially for many travelers who are seeking deeper and more ethical ways to visit incredible Peru. Regenerative tourism offers a solution by spreading visitors more evenly across lesser-known regions in the Andes, near Cusco, as well as reshaping the purpose of travel to these remote regions. Instead of extracting experiences which may cause a negative impact on the community, we begin to co-create experiences with them, with a large focus on intention, humility, and mutual respect.
By working in this way, we help preserve the region’s incredible biodiversity, protect indigenous ancestral knowledge, and even support gender equality. Two of Agustín’s business partners are widows who now have financial independence thanks to the homestay program in the Chaullacocha community.
Top Tips to Travel Responsibly in the Cusco Highlands
On a visit Cusco and the amazing Andean region of Peru, there are many ways to make your trip is as regenerative as it is enjoyable!
- Stay in Local Accommodations
Choose family-run hotels or community-based homestays. They offer a more personal, meaningful experience, and your money goes straight to those who need it most. - Get Involved, Don’t Just Watch!
Take part in a hands-on weaving workshop, help prepare a meals, wash dishes, and learn about traditional farming methods. These immersive activities help create genuine human interaction and support local indigenous knowledge. - Respect the Pace of Rural Life
Andean communities operate on a rhythm shaped by nature and the seasons. Be open to slowing down, and honor the routines of your family. It is the reason why you want a break from the fast-paced life back home, right? - Travel Off the Beaten Track
Travel beyond the tourist trail. The essence of Peru is found not only in the Inca archaeological sites but in its way of life, its incredible people, and its remote rural scenery that are untouched by massive tourism. - Ask Questions!
Why do they herd alpacas a certain way? What herbs are used in their soups? How do they celebrate the harvest? Travel becomes transformative when we listen, learn, and grow. Remember, your English/Spanish/Quechua-speaking guide is with you all the way to translate any communication with the families!
It Will Be An Experience That Changes You and the World Around You, Forever!
There’s something deeply spiritual about waking up in a quiet Andean village, watching the sunrise over snow-capped peaks, listening to the llamas bleat, and hearing the soft hum of a loom as your host weaves their story into tapestries. The community visit offers not only a change of scenery but also a complete change of perspective. By choosing regenerative travel, you will step into a more conscious way of being. You stop taking for granted. You begin to give back. You become part of a movement that’s not only protecting Peru’s heritage but breathing new life into it. As Agustín once said, “Our community has so much to offer, if only people take the time to see it.” Now, travelers from all over the world are starting to open their eyes—and the ripple effect is powerful.
Regenerative travel is not a mere travel trend. It is a return to values that respect nature and honor traditions that, to this day, sustain a community. In the highlands of Peru, families like Agustín’s are showing us the way. They invite us to experience their world by walking beside them in a shared adventure toward a more hopeful future.
If you want to leave Peru a better place than you found it, your journey starts here with Kallpa Travel.