Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, Sacred Valley, Peru

Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado is a luxury hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes on Earth: a broad green valley carved by the Urubamba River, hemmed in by Andean peaks and scattered with terraced hillsides and ancient ruins. The hotel sits right on the riverbank near Urubamba, in gardens so lush and peaceful that it feels a world away from the crowds heading for Machu Picchu. Built to resemble a small Andean village, it is intimate, unhurried and the perfect place to begin, or end, a journey into Peru's mountains.

Location: Sacred Valley, Peru

The hotel lies beside the Urubamba River, about four kilometres outside the town of Urubamba, on the road to Ollantaytambo. Cusco and its airport are around an hour and a half's drive away, a beautiful journey over high Andean plains before the road drops into the valley.

That descent matters. The Sacred Valley sits several hundred metres lower than Cusco, which stands at around 3,400 metres, so many travellers begin their trip here to acclimatise more gently to the altitude. From the hotel, the great sites of the valley are all within easy reach: the Inca fortress at Ollantaytambo, the circular terraces of Moray, the shimmering Maras salt pans and the colourful markets of Pisac and Chinchero. Machu Picchu itself is a train ride down the valley.

Rooms and suites at Rio Sagrado

There are just 21 rooms and suites, plus two private villas, scattered through the gardens. Built from natural stone and local timber, and decorated with Peruvian textiles and artwork, they feel rooted in their setting rather than imposed on it. Every room has floor-to-ceiling windows and a private terrace looking over the river and the mountains beyond, and bathrooms have heated floors to take the chill off cool Andean mornings.

The Deluxe Terrace Rooms and suites are spacious and calm, with views that change through the day as clouds drift across the peaks. For families or groups, the two-storey villas are a real treat: each has three en-suite bedrooms, a full kitchen, a dining room, a living area with a fireplace and space for up to six, making them more like a private home than a hotel room. Deliberately, there are no televisions in the rooms, so the river and the mountains provide the entertainment.

Facilities at Rio Sagrado

Much of what you eat comes from the hotel's own gardens. The restaurants serve seasonal Andean cooking built on local ingredients, from native potatoes and corn to quinoa, river trout and Peruvian herbs, with panoramic dining overlooking the valley and a more relaxed riverside setting. There is also a bar and a poolside bar beside the heated outdoor swimming pool.

The Mayu Willka Spa, whose name means Sacred River, uses native plants and flowers in its treatments. Highlights include an altitude acclimatisation massage and a body scrub using salt from the nearby Maras salt pans. There are indoor and outdoor jetted tubs, a steam room and treatment rooms for couples.

Activities are wide-ranging: horse riding, e-bike rides, river rafting, hiking, yoga by the river, cooking classes, market visits and traditional Andean ceremonies. Children love the resident baby alpacas, and the head gardener leads tours of the grounds.

The mountain moment

The hotel's most remarkable feature is its own private railway stop. At certain times, the trains to Machu Picchu, including Belmond's own Hiram Bingham, one of South America's most celebrated luxury trains, pause right at the hotel. Stepping from your garden onto a vintage carriage, then travelling through the narrowing gorge of the Urubamba towards Machu Picchu, with the river roaring alongside and cloud-forest peaks rising sheer above, is one of the world's great mountain journeys.

Closer to home, the magic hour is early evening on your terrace, as the light softens on the valley walls, the river rushes past below and the peaks turn gold, then pink, then dark.

Why Rio Sagrado is one of the best mountain hotels

Rio Sagrado earns its place because it captures the soul of the Andes in an intimate, beautifully designed setting. With just 21 rooms and two villas, it offers an exclusivity that the valley's larger resorts cannot match. Its riverside position, gardens and spa make it a genuinely restful retreat, while its location and private train stop make it the ideal base for exploring the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

It is a mountain hotel with a difference. Rather than skiing and spas in the snow, it offers ancient history, living culture and one of the most dramatic river valleys anywhere, all at a gentle pace that leaves time to breathe the mountain air and take it all in.

When to go to Rio Sagrado

The dry season, roughly May to September, brings clear skies, cool nights and the best conditions for Machu Picchu and the valley's ruins; it is also the busiest time. The wet season, roughly December to March, is greener and quieter but brings afternoon rain. The shoulder months either side are a good compromise. Train seats to Machu Picchu sell out, so book them alongside your room.