Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite resorts in Southeast Asia.
When it comes to the best resorts in South America, it’s tough to beat those found in Peru’s Sacred Valley, according to Travel + Leisure readers. The region’s spectacular landscapes, plus its proximity to Machu Picchu, helped earn it four out of 10 spots last year and two out of five this year. Argentina’s wine country also enticed travelers, as did Brazil’s Foz do Iguaçu, the gateway to the eponymous falls.
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels (including safari lodges) were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city hotel, resort, or safari lodge based on their locations and amenities.
At No. 4 is Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, the only hotel situated at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Its prime location gives guests the best chance of beating the crowds in the Lost City. One voter extolled its “incomparable location,” as well as its “excellent service,” while another mentioned that the experience was “beyond expectations.”
The other Sacred Valley resort to make the list, in the No. 5 spot, is Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, which is its own little village hidden away in a cloud forest. Guests love its jungle surroundings (one reader mentioned the “beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers, and birds”), and the food is also a highlight. “The meals were very good, and the servers were wonderful,” wrote one fan. Another shared: “The staff is perfect as is the food.”
But it was properties in Mendoza — the heart of Argentinean wine country — that took the top two spots among the best resorts in South America. Keep reading to find out more.
1. Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza, Argentina
At the base of the Andes, this Relais & Châteaux property connects guests with the majestic natural surroundings and celebrates the incredible vintages coming out of the Mendoza region, home to more than 900 wineries. Between tastings, guests enjoy horseback riding, biking, hiking, whitewater rafting, and meals at the on-site restaurant, which has a daily-changing dinner menu that highlights the bounty of Mendoza. At the end of the day, visitors retire to elegant rooms with private plunge pools, soaking tubs, and fireplaces that make the most of indoor-outdoor living.
Score: 96.80
2. The Vines Resort & Spa, Mendoza, Argentina
Score: 95.50
3. Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel, Iguaçu Falls, Brazil
Score: 95.41
4. Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, Machu Picchu, Peru
Score: 91.58
5. Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, Machu Picchu, Peru
Score: 89.50