• Peru's Sacred Valley region is home to the ancient Incan ruins at Machu Picchu.Wayna and Machu Picchu image by Towards Ithaca from Fotolia.com
  
  Peru's Sacred Valley stretches between Pisac and Ollantaytambo and is a popular tourist destination for travelers seeking both a spiritual experience and a vacation; "Travel + Leisure" includes the Sacred Valley in its list of "20 Life-Changing Trips." This fertile area is now a major agricultural region but was once the center of the Incan Empire. The valley offers cultural, historical and recreational attractions, from the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu to village artisans and markets, to rafting in the Urubamba River.
  
  

Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel and Wellness

• The Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel and Wellness is set on the Vilcanota River. The hotel is on the site of a 17th-century Colonial hacienda, or ranch, and the hotel's décor and furnishing reflect this time period. Colonial rooms feature special touches such as antique Peruvian furnishings and artwork, yet still offer modern amenities like flat-screen televisions and Internet access. The hotel is a cultural destination in itself, as it houses an art gallery, which features paintings by distinguished Peruvian artists; a photography gallery featuring the turn-of-the-century photographs of a newly discovered Machu Picchu; a Catholic temple; a museum featuring Peruvian art, furnishings and religious artifacts; a library of Peruvian documents, art and books; and a movie theater offering Peruvian documentaries and films. Other facilities include a full-service day spa, offering treatments that use local ingredients and five restaurants that include gourmet, casual, sushi, Andean, pizza and vegetarian selections.
  
  

Casa Andina Valle Sagrado

• The Casa Andina Valle Sagrado, set on three landscaped acres, offers views of the Andes from many of its 85 rooms. The hotel houses a planetarium and observatory, and, according to the hotel's website, the lack of artificial light in the region creates optimal viewing opportunities. Guides trained in Southern Hemisphere astronomy provide three nightly shows in English, French and Spanish. The hotel arranges tours to nearby Machu Picchu and the towns of Maras, Moray, Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Other area activities include river rafting, mountain biking and hiking. The hotel offers a variety of classes, including yoga, ceramics, textiles and cooking. Dine at the Alma Cocina Viva, which features a menu of local fish, meat and produce, an extensive wine cellar and entertainment such as Andean barbecues, native dances and shows. Relax in the hotel's full-service spa, which offers Andean hot-stone massage and a large, stone hydrotherapy hot tub.
  
  

Hotel Rio Sagrado

• The Hotel Rio Sagrado is set on the Urubamba River. The hotel's Spa Mayu Wilka offers a range of facial, body and massage treatments, many of which incorporate ingredients from local flora such as Kiwicha, Maracuya, Muna and Quinua. Rooms and suites are decorated in the bright colors favored by many Peruvians and include private terraces with heated wooden floors, alternating hot and cold Swiss showers and views of the Urubamba River. The hotel's restaurant serves Peruvian cuisine that uses ingredients from the hotel's organic garden. The hotel offers a variety of tours and activities, such as the three-hour Mystical Ceremony tour, which is led by an Andean shaman and includes a coca-leaf reading, atonement, cleaning and revitalization rituals. Other activities include culinary adventures, such as Peruvian cooking classes, chef-prepared picnics, Friday night barbecues and weekly tastings of one of Peru's most famous drinks, a grape brandy known as pisco.