Belmond Rio Sagrado
Location
It’s just under 50 kilometres from Cusco and about 400 metres lower in altitude, making it the ideal environment for rest and acclimatisation before heading towards Machu Picchu. The trainline to this ancient site goes past, and the hotel has its own station.
Accommodation
If you’re coming as a family or group, there are a couple of three-bedroomed villas too, with full kitchens, living and dining rooms. For days of action-packed adventure, morning family logistics can be vital, so it’s good to know that these villas each come with three bathrooms. If we were to pick one, it would perhaps be Villa Orquidea for its spacious covered terrace.
El Huerto (the Orchard) restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and serves up delicious Peruvian cuisine featuring organic vegetables and fruits from the on-site garden. If you’ve come with kids, they’ll enjoy picking the ingredients themselves. At lunch, the place to enjoy riverside meals right on the bank of the churning Urubamba is El Jardin. A couple of bars, one by the river and one by the pool, complete the picture of a place with bags of Sacred Valley appeal.
Experiences
- The great Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo is only a short trip away. Sacred and mystical, it’s an elegant and intricate walled complex with seven rose-coloured granite monoliths of unknown origin.
- Visit the other cultural sites of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, including the ruins and vibrant market at Pisac, the salt terraces at Maras, and the strange circular terraces at Moray.
- The kids, or even just the young at heart, will love feeding the characterful alpacas that keep the lawns so manicured.
- The Sacred Valley is also a place for adventure. Hiking trails abound; or perhaps explore them on a mountain bike or on horseback. A great route goes from the ruins of Huaran toward the beautiful Harin waterfall.
- Rafting trips on the Urubamba River are thrilling, and other adrenaline-pumping options include ziplining and paragliding.
- Back in the lush surrounds of the hotel’s gardens, enjoy an evening watching an outdoor movie.
- Whatever you do in the Sacred Valley, it’s worth having Pachamama – Mother Earth – on your side. Make offerings to her in a traditional ceremony with a shaman on the banks of the river.
The train that stops here is the Higham Bingham, a 1920s-style luxury train with fine dining, live music and inventive mixology to add some spice. And when you get to Machu Picchu? You’ll have a private tour and continue to have a day when arrangements seem to run on rails.
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3 Countries in One Journey
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Experience Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley in unmatched privacy. From timeless rituals and private terraces to gourmet train journeys, at Journeysmiths we craft encounters with Peru’s icons, your way.
We are a boutique travel specialist. For over 25 years we have been creating luxury tailor-made holidays to megadiverse Latin America. Your time is precious and with a world to see, we understand the importance of getting it absolutely right for you, every time.We are a boutique travel specialist. For over 25 years we have been creating luxury tailor-made holidays to megadiverse Latin America. Your time is precious and with a world to see, we understand the importance of getting it absolutely right for you, every time.