Las Casitas, A Belmond Hotel

In South America, there’s no contradiction between high adventure and high luxury. Even so, few hotels are up to the standard of Belmond Las Casitas. The location would be impossible to find fault with — the Colca Valley is one of Peru’s natural wonders, a region high in the Andes that’s home to everything from bucolic farmland to active volcanoes and a canyon that’s grander than the Grand. And the hotel is no slouch either: this estate spans twenty acres, one for each of its casitas, resulting in a small-villa luxury experience that would be difficult to top. They’re rustic enough so as not to feel gratuitous or out of place. But once inside they lack for nothing in the way of comfort. Modern amenities like wireless internet are accounted for, as are old-fashioned charms like soaking tubs, plunge pools, and under-floor heating. The hotel also offers up a range of activities, which means Colca Canyon is your playground. Spa treatments are available as well, and might just be necessary after a half-day’s trek on horseback. It’s a destination that’s slightly off the radar, but not for lack of quality — and as long as the hotels continue to be as small and luxe as Belmond Las Casitas, it might just stay that way. How to get there: Belmond Las Casitas is a hundred miles to the north of Arequipa Airport (AQP).