Building a dream
A hotel with style which maintains an air of tradition such that its guests feel as if they truly were in an old time hacienda… in the heart of Paracas on the southern coast of Peru. Hector Velarde, author and director of this project, has forever been linked to this coastal area of scorching sun and fierce winds that have fashioned a setting that radiates good vibrations, where any person can find that center of absolute peace.
Nevertheless, it was necessary for more than fifteen years to pass before the dream could become a retreat for enjoying and appreciating nature in this corner of Peru’s most beautiful bay; yet not one of the comforts that would make the most demanding client feel absolutely at ease could be or has been forgotten.
While his eyes glaze over as he watches the ocean turn into a silvery blanket under the rays of the sinking sun, Hector tells us “For many years now, I’ve spent long hours driving across the desert to reach these beaches. I’ve sailed the cold and crystalline ocean waters that wash up upon them and climbed the tops of the steep hills that surround them under the light of a full moon. Today, the La Hacienda Bahía Paracas is a reality, and I don’t want to pass up this opportunity to thank all those who have in some way and with much affection worked towards the completion of this project and dream and, over all, who trusted and believed in it wholeheartedly.”
“From the laborers at the El Alamein Ranch who pulled from the sands, one by one, the enormous roots of the huge olive tree you see in the hotel’s central patio to Lucho Risso, who was able to take our ideas of space and ambiance and express them architecturally into the building we have today. Each of them has had a hand in building La Hacienda, and I want to take this moment to thank them.”
The work was in no way simple. To build a luxury hotel just a few feet away from the ocean, in a spot where the wind whips across the sands and the merciless sun sears the earth, where there is no water or other resources that would make life easier, really was a monumental challenge. Things become even more complicated when you consider everything that the property includes: a 1500 m2 swimming pool that demands 130 water trucks to fill, large green areas, a huge conference room, a lovely spa, bar, café, and restaurant that serves food whose ingredients are brought in from area. Yet, the talents and perseverance of everyone working in the hacienda seem to feed off the energy of this place, so much so that they make Paracas a setting where clients will wish to return to again and again.
