Sol y Luna
Spirit of the Andes
The Incan Eden
Snaking between Machu Picchu and the fortress of Pisac, the Sacred Valley was the breadbasket of the Incan Empire. Today, it’s home to Sol y Luna, a hotel that brings a hint of earthly paradise to this fertile stretch of the Andes. Interlaced with flourishing gardens, the casitas are a showcase of pre- and post-Hispanic craftsmanship, with terracotta floors, ornate furnishings and artwork as bright as the blooms outside. Beyond the looks, you’ll find hospitality with a real heart: profits are used to fund a local school, and the hotel is actively engaged with the surrounding community. Local farmers grow organic produce for the restaurants, born-and-bred guides lead the excursions and guests can try everything from Peruvian cooking classes to weaving lessons.
Facilities
Rooms
43, including 14 suites.
Checkout
10am. Earliest check-in, 1pm.
More Details
Rates include an à la carte breakfast with pastries that would please a Parisian, home-made jams, fresh fruit, cheeses and Peruvian specialties; eggs are cooked to order.
Also
All of the common areas are wheelchair-accessible, and there are 10 rooms with wider doorways and grip bars in the bathroom.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Gardens, stables, gym, yoga studio, free WiFi throughout, laundry. In rooms: free bottled water and Tantra bath products. Deluxe and Premium casitas also have a flatscreen TV, minibar, Bose sound system and L'Occitane bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
All the casitas have colonial features, including terracotta floors and timber ceilings. The Superior Casitas are generously sized, although they are grouped a little closer together than the other categories (and dispense with extras like a TV, minibar or coffee-maker). If you can, swing for a Premium Casita, which comes with a private Jacuzzi and a terrace with views of the surrounding mountains. Inside, there’s a separate living room with a wood-burning fire, colourful murals and textiles hand-loomed in the traditional Cusco style.
Poolside
The heated pool is on a lawn and overlooks borders planted with trees, shrubs and fragrant flowers. Sunloungers run along the opposite side, and there’s a hot tub a few steps away.
Spa
The local-stone and stained-glass Yacu Wasi spa is bathed in a full spectrum of colours that echo the flowers in the garden and the bright dyes used in traditional Andean textiles. The name comes from a Quechua word meaning ‘house of water’, referencing the restorative power of the element – particularly in Peru’s arid mountains. The internationally trained team of therapists draw on traditional healing techniques, using locally grown herbs and botanicals in massages, facials, body wraps and hydrotherapy treatments.
Packing Tips
You’ll be needing your adventure gear; you could go horse riding, paragliding, quad-biking and hiking in a single stay.
Also
As well as training and supporting local farmers, staff and guides, owners Petit and Franz have founded their own school, which provides education for children from local communities, including those with special needs.
Children
All ages are welcome. Extra beds can be added to some rooms, and babysitting is available from US$20 an hour; a day’s notice is needed.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
In summer, request a table on the terrace at Wayra, where you’ll have the best view of the Marinera dancers and horse-riders who perform over lunch and during pre-dinner cocktails.
Dress Code
There’s no need for formality, but maybe change out of the hiking gear.
Hotel Restaurant
Sporting a vaulted ceiling, timber floor and wood-burning fire, Wayra has no shortage of rustic charm. It’s also a choreographed riot of colour thanks to its cobalt-blue walls – topped with murals by Federico, the hotel’s artist in residence – and hand-painted wood carvings by Jaime Lievana. Head chef Nacho Selis has drawn up a traditional Peruvian menu that champions the rich bounty of the Sacred Valley, a hotbed of agriculture for centuries. The hotel has trained several local farmers to grow organic produce to its (high) standards, ensuring a fruitful relationship with the land and the community that tends it. The second restaurant, Killa Wasi, applies a more modern approach to the local cuisine, but uses the same first-rate produce as Wayra. The menu changes seasonally, but you can expect dishes like trout cured with wild anise and lemon vinaigrette, and Andean lamb with chicha sauce, potatoes and spinach.
Hotel Bar
The decorative bar is in the lounge area of Wayra, which has a fire and orange and purple sofas. Try a glass of Peruvian wine, a craft beer from a local brewery or a classic Pisco sour.
Last Orders
Breakfast is available at Killa Wasi from 5am to 10am; lunch from noon to 3pm; dinner from 6pm to 10pm. Wayra opens for lunch from noon to 3pm; dinner is from 6pm to 10pm.
Room Service
You can order from both restaurants while they’re open.
Planes
Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete International is the closest airport. In spite of its name, most flights that land there are domestic, making Lima the best entry point for international arrivals. Fly there directly from London Gatwick, or via Madrid if you’re beginning your journey on the Continent. The connecting flight to Cusco takes around 90 minutes. The hotel can arrange transfers from Cusco airport for US$63 a person (based on two guests travelling together). Every additional guest travels for 50 per cent of the rate.
Automobiles
Peru doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to tourist-friendly driving. Attitudes can be gung-ho, and drivers with the largest vehicles often claim a greater right to the road. Unless you’re confident in your swerving skills, you’re better off taking taxis or having someone local do your driving for you. If you do decide to drive, there’s valet parking at the hotel.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Sol y Luna’s activities ensure you’ll be making the most of the valley’s nature and culture. Once you’ve toured the fragrant gardens and tried an Andean-style spa treatment, get to grips with the local handicraft with a pottery workshop, weaving demonstration or Peruvian cooking class with chef Nacho. There’s also a daily show with Paso horses and Marinera dancers – the traditional dance mimics courtship and stars some hankies. If you’re travelling as a group or have made friends with fellow guests, consider booking the Pachamama dinner, a traditional Andean feast for up to eight. Lamb, alpaca, pork, potatoes, plantains and stuffed peppers are roasted in a specially dug pit, an act that symbolises a return to Mother Earth.
If you’re making your way towards Machu Picchu, consider stopping at Ollantaytambo, the hilltop fortress that became the final Incan stronghold during the Spanish Conquest. At the other end of the Sacred Valley is Pisac, known for its citadel and steep, terraced fields, which are still farmed today. After you’ve had your fill of the ruins, go for a whirl around the town’s market, where you can browse stalls selling alpaca products, jewellery and hand-woven Andean fabrics. If you’re up for a challenge, book the hotel’s half-day bicycle trip to Maras, where the hillside is pockmarked with hundreds of salt pans that have been tended since pre-Hispanic times. The front desk can also organise kayaking on Huaypo Lake, horse-rides to hillside villages and quad-biking tours of the Sacred Valley. The following day, reward your efforts with a tasting at Cervecería del Valle Sagrado, the Sacred Valley’s first craft brewery. Opened by four friends in 2014, it’s been at the forefront of Peru’s craft-beer scene, brewing an ever-changing line-up and collecting dozens of international awards along the way.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
