Las Qolqas Eco Lodge

From the alpaca yarn on wooden looms to the ancient hillside circular terraces, Inca traditions are woven through Peru’s Sacred Valley. So are they at Las Qolqas Eco Lodge. Sitting halfway between Machu Picchu and Cusco, and ringed by the Peruvian Andes, the earthy, elegant lodge isn’t just inspired by tradition—it invites guests to live it. Slow-cook a meal over hot stones buried in the ground for a traditional pachamanca (“earth pot”) lunch under the shadow of fruit trees. Take a dip in the Patacancha River that meanders through the leafy grounds. Greet the morning with sunrise meditation in the 30-ft.-diameter glass geodesic dome, and then ease into the afternoon with an ancestral music session or solstice ritual to celebrate Pachamama, or Mother Earth. The lodge treats the Sacred Valley as sacred, with a sustainable philosophy that uses solar energy, recycled irrigation, bio-digesters to treat wastewater, and, most notably, minimal-impact sleeping quarters: tents. Rustic and airy, the glamping-style tents and bungalows feature wood stoves and sun-warmed terraces. Las Qolqas is also a good neighbor: they manage a nonprofit association that supports the Patacancha river valley community with child education, family health care, and more. The lodge’s idyllic ambiance tempts cocooning for days, but when they’re ready to venture beyond, guests are in the perfect spot to do so.