More Photos (7)

This is one place you will not stumble on by accident: turning off Urubamba’s main street, you follow a bumpy track hemmed by rough stone walls, scattering hens before you. At the end, in a tranquil garden beneath towering mountains, lie the delightful Urubamba Villas. Each of the five caramel-colored clay villas is configured differently, accommodating between five and eight people, but all are cozy, with open-plan sitting-dining areas warmed by wood fires. Presiding over each villa is a housekeeper who prepares your breakfast and dinner on the premises: ours, Bertha, was welcoming and cooked us excellent quinoa pancakes and spicy chicken.

The decor fuses traditional local artifacts with abstract modern designs; baskets of flowers hang in the comfortable outside seating areas. It all adds up to a wonderful sanctuary for family or a group of close friends.

Urubamba is a hub for outdoor activities, such as horseback riding and white-water rafting. Within easy reach are the towns of Chinchero, which has a fascinating weaving center; Ollantaytambo, with its fine Inca fortress; and Pisac, best visited on Sunday for its extensive market.

INDAGARE TIP: For a real feeling of the Andes, ask for the fire pit in the middle of the garden to be lit, and sit out under the stars.