peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

and-off and rooms are a little cramped. It’s
the only real hostel in town, with good staff,
kitchen access and a small store with provisions
nearby. Train station pick-up available.
249
for a decadent dinner. Indio Feliz has good
wheelchair access and is in the process of
adding an upstairs bar and terrace, which
provides another reason not to leave here.
Machupicchu Hostal HOTEL $$
(%21-1212; reservas@siahotels.com; Av Imperio de
los Incas s/n; s/d/tr incl breakfast S120/135/180;
iW) One of the tidy midrange inns right
next to the train tracks, this place has buffet
breakfasts and a small flower-festooned
interior courtyard. Small, dark rooms echo
with sounds of the guesthouse, and you will
certainly hear every train that goes by.
Hostal John HOTEL $
(%21-1022; jtrujillo3@hotmail.com; Mayta Cápac
105; per person S20) Uphill from the plaza, this
friendly spot offers bare, cell-like rooms that
might mean incarceration elsewhere, but offer
unbeatable value in Aguas Calientes. The
related Hotel Joe across the street is similar
but less appealing.
Municipal Campground CAMPGROUND $
(camping per tent S15) This small, charming
campground has toilets, showers and
kitchen facilities for rent. It’s a 20-minute
walk downhill from the center of town on
the road to Machu Picchu, before the bridge.
5 Eating
Touts standing in the street will try to herd
you into their restaurant, but take your time
making a selection. Standards are not very
high in most restaurants – if you go to one
off this list, snoop around to check the hygiene
first.
oIndio Feliz FRENCH $$$
(%21-1090; Lloque Yupanqui 4; menú S55, mains
from S38; h11am-10pm) It’s hard to overstate
the pleasure that can be derived from this
multi-award-winning restaurant. Of course,
hospitality is the strong suit of French cook
Patrik, but the food does not disappoint.
Start with sopa criolla, a potent and flavorful
broth, served with hot bread, homemade
butter and optional chilis. There are also
nods to traditional French cooking – like
Provençal tomatoes, crispy-perfect garlic potatoes
and a melt-in-your-mouth tarte aux
pommes.
The candlelit decor shows the imagination
of a long-lost castaway with imitation
Gauguin panels, a carved figurehead damsels,
colonial benches and vintage objects.
The S50 menú is an extremely good value
Café Inkaterra PERUVIAN $$$
(%21-1122; Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel; mains S25-
60; h11am-9pm) Second to none for ambience,
this tucked-away riverside restaurant
is housed in elongated thatched rooms with
views of water tumbling over the boulders.
With quite reasonable prices, try the perfectly
executed lomo saltado with flavorful
sauce and crisp red onions. Look carefully,
it’s hidden behind the train station.
Tree House FUSION $$$
(%21-1101; Huanacaure s/n; S32-59; h4:30am-
10pm) With just a few tables, the rustic ambience
of Tree House provides a cozy setting
for its inviting fusion menu. Dishes like
chicken soup with wontons and ginger, red
quinoa risotto and crispy trout are lovingly
prepared. For dessert, order the lip-smacking
fruit crumble. Reserve ahead. It’s part of
the hotel Rupa Wasi.
Café de Paris BAKERY $
(Plaza Wiyawaina s/n; pastries S1-4; h7am-9pm)
We don’t know how these Frenchmen got
here, we’re just thankful. This open-air stand
sells pain au chocolat, fresh croissants and
desserts. The upstairs bakery offers community
classes, which should leave an interesting
cultural imprint on the rural Andean
baking.
Govinda VEGETARIAN $$
(Pachacutec s/n; menú S15-30; h10:30am-9pm;
v) A trusty Hare Krishna vegetarian standby
serving chapati bread and meatless interpretations
of Peruvian classics. Be warned,
hours may be sporadic.
6 Drinking
There isn’t much nightlife in Aguas
Calientes. Desperate restaurants offer a fourfor-one
happy hour (probably not the best
way to prepare for running up Wayna Picchu).
Wasicha (%21-1282; Lloque Yupanqui s/n)
is a popular discoteca with dancing till the
wee hours. At the time of writing, the Indio
Feliz restaurant was adding a rooftop bar
geared towards grown-ups.
8 Information
There’s a helpful branch of iPerú (%21-
1104; Pachacutec, cuadra 1; h9am-1pm &
2-6pm) near the Machu Picchu ticket office
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley M E AG AT AC UA I H N S U G C P A I C L I C E H N U T E & S T H E I N C A T R A I L