Hotel Paracas

Foreign visitors are well aware of Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, and for good reason. But the Paracas District, along Peru’s central coast, has awe-inspiring historical relics and a unique, lovely landscape — minus the masses. Hotel Paracas takes full advantage of its location: a peninsular desert surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The two outdoor pools, with their bright white day beds and lounge chairs, look out on just this geography.

Plenty of the bungalows, villas, and chalets do too. Next door is the 900,000-acre Reserva Nacional de Paracas, sometimes called the Peruvian Galápagos. Nearby are the Ballestas Islands, easily seen from the hotel’s private yacht, and the Nazca Lines, easily seen from the hotel’s private airplane.

Location matters in other ways. Geometric designs on floors and walls echo those found on the petroglyphs and weavings created by the area’s pre-Incan cultures. More recently, locally crafted textiles and furniture have been used to decorate the accommodations, which also feature marble bathrooms and 400-thread sheets.

Naturally, the bar offers several takes on the country’s most famous beverage, the Pisco sour (Pisco is a Peruvian brandy), and the two restaurants serve many preparations of freshly caught fish, such as ceviche and tiraditos. And with Starwood now running the show, service, including treatments at the huge spa, promises to be as exacting as expected.

How to get there:

Hotel Paracas is ten kilometers from Pisco airport (PIO). Complimentary shuttle service is available.