Where to Stay in the Sacred Valley of Peru

The Urubamba River curves through Peru’s Sacred Valley, eddying and splashing toward Machu Picchu. Tourists seem to follow its momentum. They touch down in Cusco and hurtle through the Sacred Valley to get to that Inca citadel in the sky. Beyond a token stop at an alpaca farm or a weaving workshop, the Sacred Valley rarely gets more than a passing night’s stay.

But anywhere else, this fertile land of quinoa, sweet potato, and purple corn would be the main attraction. Here Quechua farmers tend their crops amid Inca ruins, 16th-century Spanish churches, and mountains said to embody the spirits of ancestors. Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, a National Geographic Unique Lodge, celebrates and puts a spotlight on this often overlooked region. Owners José Koechlin and Denise Guislain-Koechlin combined Inca-inspired masonry and Spanish colonial architecture, commissioned locals to weave blankets and other textiles, and planted a 10-acre organic garden filled with native species such as Andean mint, golden berries, and tree tomatoes. And on your return from whatever ruin or trail you find in the Sacred Valley, head to the hacienda’s bar, where Alfredo Quispetupa makes a glorious pisco sour as sunset lights up the great slopes of the Andes.

Lodge Essentials

Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba offers 36 rooms and suites with panoramic views of the Andes. An eco-center provides information on lodge conservation projects, including Inkaterra Asociación, which helps protect the biodiversity and local communities of the Peruvian Andes. Other lodge amenities include a bar, dining room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a wine cave, and gift shop. Free Wi-Fi is provided.

Travel with us to Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba.