Llamas, Hot Tubs, and Andes Views — Oh My! Mountain View Experience in Peru

I am always searching for magic when I travel…

The internet-famous Mountain View Experience in Maras, Peru, popped up during my hunt for special hotels.

I saw one video of free-roaming llamas and alpacas being fed from a hot tub, and I was sold.

Ready to find out for myself if this eco-friendly hotel lived up to the internet hype, we made it our first stop in Peru.

I will give you honest feedback about our experience spending 2 nights and 3 days at Mountain View Experience in Maras with my husband, Seth.

About Maras

Maras is a town located in the Sacred Valley of Peru. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach Maras from Cusco by car, though an unfortunate traffic jam added an extra 40 minutes to our journey.

This charming town is best known for its Salt Mines and Moray (Inca Ruins).

Maras is at a slightly lower elevation than Cusco, at about 3,330 meters (10,800 feet).

Many travelers go directly from Cusco to the Sacred Valley to acclimatize (slowly adjust to the high altitude) more safely before tackling higher ground.

Maras is ideal for travelers who wish to truly connect with the Inca culture.

The tranquil atmosphere and stunning landscapes made me feel peace all the way to my core.

Arriving to Mountain View Experience

We arrived at Mountain View Experience by car pickup from Cusco airport. This was conveniently arranged with the hotel in advance.

Seeing the property was love at first sight. Towering peaks of the Andes, picturesque fields, and curious wandering animals set the scene.

We had quite a wait for our room to be ready after check-in.

This wasn’t a problem for me. I barely got my luggage down before I made my way to meet the llamas and alpacas.

The lobby is where the restaurant, bar, and coca tea can be found.

Coca tea is a native herb that helps alleviate altitude sickness symptoms.

I was obsessed with the large windows that showcased the natural surroundings. Seriously stunning!

After we were finally offered a ride to our room, we found out it wasn’t ready upon arrival.

The organization wasn’t seamless, but we were patient…

Once we made it to our sustainable cabin, we realized it was worth the wait.

We had our own hot tub, wood burning fireplace, outdoor firepit, and unreal views.

Some of the cabins require a decent walk from the lobby/restaurant, and there aren’t any streetlights.

The hotel provides a shuttle between cabins and reception, but the wait can be long. We opted to walk most of the time!

We booked the Maras A-Frame for 233 USD per night in November of 2025.

Llama Hot Tub Experience

Now for the reason we are all here—the llama and alpaca hot tub experience. For simplicity, I’ll just call them llamas.

This experience is not as completely organic as it may seem on Instagram. It must be booked with the front desk in advance.

A staff member will start filling up your hot tub, which takes about 30 minutes.

Then, the llamas are led to you! The herder offered to take photos for us and provided a basket of corn husks to feed them.

If you are a cute, fluffy animal, I will bribe you to love me…

We got to spend about 15-20 minutes with the llamas. They were adorable and friendly.

My heart nearly exploded! Seth was thrilled to see me so joyous, too.

Yes, my expectations were set for constant, organic animal encounters throughout our stay.

However, this was one of the best and most unique experiences of my life despite the unexpected way of interacting with llamas.

Other Mountain View Experience Perks

I would be remiss not to mention the food at Mountain View Experience. Oh my goodness… it was fantastic!

A delicious breakfast was included in our stay. Typically, this included a large bowl of fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh juice, toast, meats, and cheeses.

Lunch and dinner at the restaurant were pricey compared to the average Peruvian meal, but they were so worth it!!

We admired the most incredible sunsets during our dinners. One in particular was so unbelievable that people left their food for the outdoors to clap and dance under the sky!

Mountain View Experience offers other fun activities such as horseback and ATV riding, picnics, biking, and yoga.

We scheduled horseback riding for sunset but the evening storm and a miscommunication with the front desk led to us cancelling.

We were lucky to join a Cacao Ceremony during out stay.

This spiritual journey with my husband had tears streaming down our cheeks and our hearts deeply connected.

It was an amazing experience!

One of my favorite moments at Mountain View Experience was sitting under the breathtaking stars in the hot tub or near the fire pit at night.

We could see the lightning storms between the snowy mountain peaks in the distance.

It was such a beautiful sight that I actually tried to force time to slow down.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was writing about this moment and yearning to be back.

One last note worth mentioning is that the front desk will arrange a driver to take you to the nearby Salt Mines, Moray, and other markets and towns.

Our driver was a precious soul.

I highly recommend buying salt to take home from the salt mines. It is so yummy!

Was Mountain View Experience Worth It?

Overall, it will depend on one’s personal expectations if they enjoy Mountain View as much as we did.

Most of the staff we encountered were incredibly kind and helpful.

A couple of the men definitely came off as rude, but I give grace in situations where I could be misreading due to language barriers or cultural differences.

The unreal natural surroundings, meaningful connections with culture and animals, and sheer tranquility made the Mountain View Experience worth it for us.

We received an authentic experience that can’t be manufactured outside of the Sacred Valley of Peru, leaving us with a deeper appreciation for the warmth of the Peruvian people.

Comment below with any questions or opinions you wish to share!

Thank you for joining my travels!

-Amanda K.🩷

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