Visit Potato Park!

No, it's not a theme park, but this park is family friendly and educational - and may change the future.

Located in Pisaq in the Sacred Valley of Peru, the Potato Park is a one of the few conservation initiatives in the world where the local people are managing and protecting local genetic resources and traditional knowledge about their health, food, and agriculture.

The Park covers more than 12,000 ha between 3,150 and 5,000 metres above sea level. About 600 varieties of native potatoes grow in the Park, most of them unique to this habitat. Six Quechua communities live in the Park. Some had been struggling for land tenure for years until the Quechua-Aymara Association for Sustainable Communities (ANDES in Spanish) brought them together in this in-situ conservation project.

Since 2004, the Potato Park and CIP have collaborated to preserve and promote the Park’s native potato varieties through repatriation of disease-free cultivars, as well as to identify traditional and scientific practices for food security and self-sustaining development, particularly in light of climate change.

The Potato Park is a model of how other microconservation centers may work along the Ruta Condor.

The Peruvian Potato Park is a wonderful example of best practice when it comes to local conservation activities, and is a living monument to the descendants of the Incan empire and their most prized food - the potato. Visitors will discover the local communities as well as the thousands of varieties of potatoes produced in Peru, their specific cultivation requirements, and their long-history with the destination.

The Potato Park provides the perfect escape for tourists who want discover more about the ways of life of the people who live in the valley of the Incas today, not just 600 years ago. The eco-reserve invites visitors, who can sign up for one-, three- and five-day tours, to meet with the local farmers, weavers and cooks throughout their stay, and enjoy this esteemed vegetable, in its many forms, colours and flavours, for each meal. For more information ....

Add comment

Www.Foodandtravel.Com.Au - Australia

Best Food Travel Website 2021

foodandtravel.com.au has been awarded

Best Antipodean Culinary Travel Expert, 2019

by the prestigious UK-based magazine...

Ready for a taste treat?

Embark on an unforgettable culinary adventure through the vibrant tapestry of Malaysia.

Led by the charismatic Malaysian ex-pat Chef Wanitha Tanasingam, this intimate journey promises to tantalize your taste buds and ignite your senses, sending you home with memories to last a lifetime.

Find out more....

The flipside of travel...

How not all of it is joyous.