Peru was one of the many trips that we had planned to go in 2020 before the pandemic hit. But of course with the pandemic we had to reschedule it and I couldn’t wait to go in 2021. I am so thankful that we were able to reschedule it for this summer and cross it off our bucketlist. Peru is utterly stunning and has SO much to offer from history to natural beauty to culture and more. Stay tuned for my travel guide later this month.
We only spent 5 days in Peru this time so we split it across the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco. For our time in the Sacred Valley, we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Sol Y Luna in Urubamba. This is the only Relais and Châteaux property in the Sacred Valley and its location is absolutely phenomenal. Sol Y Luna was also voted as one of the top 100 Best hotels in the world as well as one of the top 10 resort hotels in South America, by Travel and Leisure.
Nestled in one of the most beautiful valleys and encircled by the majestic Andes Mountains, Anush and I instantly fell in love with this place. Its really hard not to! It is the perfect place to unwind, disconnect from reality and soak in the magic and energy of this place.
All the accommodations are in cozy ‘casita’ houses made of local stone and decorated individually. Staying in this casita gave us the most intimate and authentic yet luxurious stay in the Sacred Valley. There are about 43 casitas in total and we stayed in a deluxe casita which had a spacious living room, elegant living space, cozy fireplace and a large bathroom with double vanities + a bathtub with a view. The best part of the casita was the private terrace outside from where we had gorgeous panoramic views of the mountains. Every little detail in the casita is so thoughtful – from its vibrant handpainted murals, Peruvian pima bedding, beautiful local art and decor pieces, etc.
Our gorgeous casita!
Art and decor in the casita
Private patio with views of the Andes
The entire landscaping around the property is so lush! The gardens were filled with flora native to the Sacred Valley. I loved all the cacti, native palms and stunning flowering plants everywhere.
Lush landscapes with vegetation endemic to the Sacred Valley
There are 2 restaurants on property, but currently only one was operating. We had a couple of breakfast, lunch and dinner meals at Killa Wasi and I kid you not – every meal was phenomenal! The restaurant served Cusqueña cuisine incorporating Sacred Valley’s rustic culinary traditions, the produce from organic farms in the community as the chef’s discoveries in the Peruvian jungles and along the Amazon. Some of my favorite dishes here – Peruvian ceviche, Quinoa falafel, the pumpkin lasagne and tres leches,
Aside from being a beautiful luxury hotel, Sol Y luna is a not for profit as all their profits from the hotel go towards the Sol Y Luna Association which helps run a school next door with over 200 kids as well as the wonderful Sol Y Luna Home. The Sol y Luna Home opened its doors at the end of 2018, providing a safe and loving home for 20 children from the Sol y Luna Foundation who had been abandoned or maltreated. We went to spend a few hours with these precious kids and it was so amazing to see first hand how much the hotel is doing to give them a loving home and good education for a secure future. We spoke to some of the kids about their hopes and aspirations and it was inspiring to hear all their dreams! Just a few months after opening, the pandemic hit, tourism ground to a halt and the source of funding for the Sol y Luna Home dried up. While the home used to rely on tourism and other similar benefactors, funding is now a big issue for even basic necessities. If you are able to donate anything at all, you can check out their Go Fund Me page for more.
