Fleewinter

The location of this castle is the stuff that fairytales are made of. About an hour away from the lakeside city of Puno, Belgian owner Christian stumbled across this spot when cycling through the area in the early 2000s. Upon falling in love with this stunning part of the lake, which you would be forgiven for confusing with the ocean as the crystal-clear water washes up onto sandy beaches, he decided to build his retirement home. In the form of a castle! Which he today shares with his dogs Duke and Hound, Daisy the cat, and a few passing travellers if they have been lucky enough to discover it.

A stay at Castillo de Titicaca promises to be an unforgettable one. The scenery is just magical, and it is perched on one of the prettiest parts of the lake. There are just five rooms but it is fair to say that a stay here is more about the views and scenery outside than the rooms and decor inside. Nevertheless, rooms are comfortable, clean and quirky in style and character.

There are four rooms in a separate building in the castle grounds. Three of these rooms are duplex rooms with a downstairs living room and kitchenette and the bedroom upstairs.The fourth room is a double room on one level, which is actually our favourite in this building as you are unlikely to be sitting in the downstairs living areas when the views outside beckon. It is worth noting that none of these rooms have lake views and are all a little dark. The creme de la creme of all rooms, without a shadow of a doubt, is the suite which is in the main castle where Christian lives. This fifth room has phenomenal lake views and also has a delightful lakeside terrace outside the room. If available it is well worth the extra to book this room.

There are lots of steps to get to the rooms and throughout the extensive castle grounds, which may not make this a desirable option for older people. Being more than 3,500m above sea level, hiking up the steps and through the grounds is a little more taxing than it would normally be!

The food at the Castillo is excellent, which is crucial when staying in an isolated area with no other food options. Chef Blas cooked us a phenomenal three-course menu during our visit which featured freshly-caught trout from the lake and an assortment of other delights. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are served in a separate building on the lakeshore with fabulous views over the castle’s private beach and water beyond. (Well, we say private, but in Peru all private beaches have public access so you might find yourself sharing it with a few locals too, making it all the more authentic.)

We also love the bar here - true to his Belgian roots, Christian has created a cosy drinking den (in another building) besides the private beach. With a vast collection of (yes, you’ve guessed it!) Belgian beers and plenty of other local beers, spirits and wine, it is the perfect place to have a cheeky tipple, which you could even enjoy on the beach if you wish.

The castle has its own private boat and excursions can be arranged to visit nearby Taquille and Uros islands, which we think is much better than joining the masses on the 100-plus seater boat from Puno. There are also two kayaks available to use as well as bicycles and horse-riding can be organised. There are also plans to build a zip-line in the 3-hectare grounds so watch this space!

A stay here is very much about disconnecting and enjoying little but the entertainment of nature… there are no TVs and wifi is limited (you should ask if you wish to connect but it is not generally encouraged). Fellow guests may be artists or even politicians from Lima, which like to regularly come and get away from it all.

By opening up his fairytale retirement home, Christian is giving a wonderful and unique opportunity for our clients to get truly off the beaten track of Puno and experience a different kind of magic on the shores of Lake Titicaca.