Meet Our Crew
Stephano Gutierrez Manrique: Director and Founder
Stephano was born and raised in Lima, Peru. Strongly pulled towards a quieter lifestyle, he left his career of Flair Bartender and managment of hotels decided to change his life to live within the communities of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in order to seek his purpose in life, from his all journey since 2013, stephano does not stop learning from the living knowledge that the indigenous people of the High Andean communities of Cusco saves for those who earn their trust, stephano learned from them an important ancient law called “Ayni” in Quechua the reciprocity, because thanks to the help to all the teachings that the Andean people of Cusco and “Pachamama” (Mother earth) gave him, Andean Encounters was founded to ascribe them back everything that the Andean people of Cusco did for him, thanks to it, Stephano found his purpose and he feels like a living entity son of Pachamama (Mother Earth) to be able to offer his most sacred secrets from the origins of Qosqo and its cosmogony so he can share it with the rest of the world.
Claraluz Llerena Saavedra: General Coordinator
She was born in Cusco, Peru, her passion is to help people who need her the most, she has a 6 year old daughter, and her maternal feeling makes her a better person to help many mothers in Cusco, her goal is to preserve and raise awareness of her own culture where she Born and grew up. she worked almost all her life in hostess and modeling, which makes her have a beautiful passion for the textiles of her own culture, she is currently creating sustainable projects for many mother weavers, and also creating a new concept in “sustainable fashion” creating new designs in Alpaca without losing the traditional weaving techniques of the Andes. she is also in charge of our blog site and social medias she is always ready to make this world better supporting Andean people.
Roger Benavente Mallqui: Private Chauffeur
Roger was born and raised in the province of Cusco. This charismatic character is in charge of the transportation of most of our tours. Roger is very knowledgeable of his cherished land and likes to share his secrets with our guests.
Adrian and Margarita: Andean Hosts from the Community of Maucau
Adrian and Margarita are native of the community of Maucau, province of Cusco. These generous people open their home to us, allowing our guests to experience a deep connection with their land and lifestyle. Adrian is passionate with cultivation and Margarita with her stunning hand woven work. This family awaits us with open hearts, ready to fill ours with the many secrets and beauty of the Andean culture.
Juan de Dios and Margarita: Andean Hosts from the Community of Cancha Cancha
Juan de Dios and Margarita are native of the community of Cancha Cancha, province of Cusco. Juan de Dios built his own house high in the Andes, working hard with his crops to sustain his family. His wife Margarita his also passionate for the land, hand weaving and will charm us with her delicious traditional cooking. This inspiring couple have a lot to teach us about their traditions and lifestyle.