Welcome to Huacahuasi Lodge
When you’ve been hiking and adventuring all day, high in the Peruvian Andes, the best surprise when you check into your remote mountain lodge might be an outdoor hot tub with expansive views across the green slopes and valleys. On a multi-day trip organized jointly by Mountain Lodges of Peru and Kind Human Travel, these scenic hot tubs made our welcome to Huacahuasi Lodge especially sweet.
Here’s the scoop:
Huacahuasi Lodge sits at an elevation of more than 12,000 feet.
Before joining this small-group experience, my husband Alan and I had spent several days adjusting to the high altitude in Cusco, where we stayed at the creatively designed XO Art House, which Mountain Lodges of Peru also runs. When we arrived at Huacahuasi Lodge, at an altitude of nearly 12,500 feet, we were grateful to have taken that time to acclimate.
The guest lounge and dining area at Huacahuasi Lodge
Though somewhat modest-looking at the entrance, Huacahuasi Lodge has a gorgeous contemporary design that takes full advantage of its scenic and very remote location.
The guest lounge on the main floor has a sloped double-height ceiling and walls of windows looking out to the mountains. Several nooks with couches or upholstered chairs were comfy spots to relax and enjoy the view. You could also take in the vistas from the bar counter, where we could refill our bottles from jugs of fresh water.
Guests start the day with an extensive breakfast buffet.
The lounge space also encompassed the dining area, where we enjoyed a hearty dinner served family-style at a long rustic wood table.
In the morning, we could help ourselves to the buffet here, with fresh fruits, yogurts, cereals, or other crunchy bits to top your fruit bowl (I enjoyed the crispy toasted quinoa), as well as cold cuts, cheeses, avocados, tomatoes, and breads. To drink, we had a selection of juices, coffee, and teas.
A Huacahuasi Lodge guest room
Upstairs, the guest rooms were spacious and comfortable as well, with wood floors, dark woodwork on the walls and furnishings, and colorful local textiles. The baths were modern with large walk-in showers.
A contemporary guest bath at Huacahuasi Lodge
Each room had a terrace with an outdoor hot tub. The lodge provides robes that we could wear onto the terrace before slipping them off and sliding into the soothing hot tub waters.
From the hot tub, we looked out to the surrounding mountains, where the next day, after this relaxing sojourn at Huacahuasi Lodge, our Peruvian adventures would continue.
Views of the Peruvian Andes from Huacahuasi Lodge
Rates
Mountain Lodges of Peru normally includes stays at Huacahuasi Lodge as part of the Upper Sacred Valley & Lares Adventure to Machu Picchu tour, which you can book as either a five-day or seven-day experience.
A useful resource when you’re researching Peru travel, PromPerú, the country’s tourist board, has a detailed website with lots of travel tips.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. We paid a discounted media rate for our stay at Huacahuasi Lodge as part of a multi-day Mountain Lodges of Peru trip. As part of this same adventure, we also stayed at Lamay Lodge.
