Lamay Lodge: Delicious Adventures in Peru’s Sacred Valley

It had been a long day of hiking. Our group of travelers had left Cusco that morning, starting our first trek near the village of Amaru. We climbed up through the rocky green fields and between the jagged peaks of the Peruvian Andes to a lookout at a breath-sucking elevation of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). After lunch in a nearby village, we continued hiking to the archeological site at Pisaq, approaching it from above so its ancient stone structures spread out dramatically below us. But as invigorating as the day’s hiking had been, we were ready to relax later that afternoon when we arrived at Lamay Lodge, outside the village of Lamay in Peru’s Sacred Valley.

Here’s the scoop:

Lamay Lodge

Operated by Mountain Lodges of Peru, Lamay Lodge is a two-story guest house with 12 rooms that look out over manicured lawns and gardens to the Andes beyond. An alpaca grazes on the grass and seems willing enough to pose for photos.

The lodge sits at an elevation of 9,600 feet (2,600 meters), which felt like plenty of air after our high-altitude hikes, but would still require some acclimatization if you had arrived directly from Lima or elsewhere on the coast.

From the hotel bar, with its double-height ceiling and tall windows, you can peek out at the peaks while enjoying your morning coffee or end-of-day pisco sour. A seating area opens onto the lawn, with a pool table in a nook behind a rope curtain.

Guest Rooms and Amenities

The Lamay Lodge guest rooms aren’t posh, but they’re cozy and comfortable, with thick duvets on the beds, rustic wood furnishings, and doors that open onto a terrace or the garden. Carafes of drinking water and bowls of fresh fruits were on the desk when we arrived. 

The bathrooms are modern with sink basins atop polished wood counters, spacious walk-in showers, and separate toilet compartments.

The Pachamanca Experience

For dinner, our group enjoyed a pachamanca, a traditional meal with ingredients roasted outdoors in a pit oven. Staff layered a variety of foods over the coals — plantains, several types of potatoes, long fat beans, chicken, pork, and beef — topping the entire stack with fresh herbs.

Once everything was cooked, we helped ourselves from the ample buffet, which also included quinoa salad, fresh corn, mushrooms, and several other vegetables. Chicha, Peru’s non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn, was a refreshing contrast to the roasted meats and root vegetables, brightening the table with its vibrant magenta hue.

We finished our hearty meal with picarones, a traditional Peruvian donut typically made from sweet potatoes and squash, and served with a honey syrup, before hauling our tired selves upstairs to bed.

Tomorrow, there would be more mountain adventures.

Rates

Mountain Lodges of Peru normally includes stays at Lamay Lodge as part of a multi-day tour in the Sacred Valley, including the three-day Upper Sacred Valley Lodge Getaway or the Upper Sacred Valley & Lares Adventure to Machu Picchu, which you can book as either a five-day or seven-day experience. 

Check rates for the Lamay Lodge online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.

If you need accommodations in Cusco before or after your Sacred Valley travels, consider the boutique-style XO Art House, which Mountain Lodges of Peru also operates, or the historic JW Marriott El Convento Cusco. 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 Lamay Lodge as part of a multi-day Mountain Lodges of Peru experience.