Rio Sagrado, A Belmond Hotel, Sacred Valley

Arriving by the private station platform on site, guests step directly into gardens where alpacas graze along the Urubamba River. Rio Sagrado, A Belmond Hotel, occupies a terraced hillside in Peru's Sacred Valley — the historic corridor linking Cusco to Machu Picchu. The property sits at lower altitude than Cusco, which makes it a practical base for acclimatisation before further exploration.

Accommodation spans 23 rooms and suites plus two standalone villas. Deluxe Terrace Rooms at 42 m² face the river and the valley beyond from private terraces. Garden Junior Suites at 92 m² add flagstone terraces and direct garden access. Villa Q'inti stretches across 220 m² over two storeys with three bedrooms; Villa Maras, the 330 m² signature villa, holds four bedrooms, a covered terrace, and a private riverfront garden.

El Huerto restaurant sources vegetables, herbs, and fruit from the hotel's kitchen garden; guests may select ingredients before meals are prepared. El Jardín serves barbecue lunches beneath willow trees beside the river when weather permits. Mayu Willka spa sits on the riverbank within a wildflower enclave and offers treatments tailored to individual needs. A heated outdoor pool overlooks the mountains. Pachamanca feasts — meats and tubers cooked over hot stones underground — take place in the garden. The hotel arranges pisco tastings, horseback rides to nearby waterfalls, and rafting on the Urubamba. Cooking classes cover ceviche, causa, or full three-course menus drawn from Peruvian ingredients. Urubamba town lies five minutes by road; Ollantaytambo station is 15 minutes away.