Hacienda Huayoccari is a hidden gem that you won’t find on the generic tourist trail in Cusco. Tucked away in the lush, vegetation-filled private estate of the Lambarri-Orihuela family in the village of Huayoccari in the Sacred Valley, a visit is a must for anyone looking for an off-the-beaten trail experience!
The Hacienda houses the owners private collection of pre-Colombian, Incan and colonial artefacts including an impressive collection of ‘Qeros’ the traditional drinking vessels. Browse through the interesting museum with a welcome pisco sour in hand before heading into the dining area.
If the weather is good sit outside on the terrace for stunning views of the Sacred Valley and surrounding mountains. It will only take a few minutes before you start to feel the silence and peace of this little Eden seeping into your bones! Stunning gardens which include a small collection of local orchids are the perfect backdrop to the country-style home cooking they serve up in the restaurant.
They don’t pretend to serve gourmet cuisine and instead focus on serving hearty, traditional and rustic Andean fare. All ingredients are local and come from either their own farm or other local farms (Our waiter Rodrigo provides the Hacienda with herbs like huacatay, corn and other ingredients) and dishes are tasty with that home-cooked feel.
Starters include the traditional causa dish served with a delicious local smoked trout and tasty quinoa croquettes. The steamed trout in a caper butter sauce was a hit for mains as was the sirloin steak with pisco and mushroom quinotto. They had one of the better selections of deserts we have seen in the Sacred Valley including the typical ‘suspiro de limeño’ made with the lucuma fruit and the house special of meringue served with fresh cream and chirimoya fruit.
For those looking for something a bit more adventurous they have 17 beautifully groomed Peruvian Paso horses and they offer two hour horse-riding tours in the valley for US$60 per person. They also offer traditional Peruvian Paso horse shows if you book in advance.
We absolutely loved our visit to the Hacienda Huayoccari and recommend it for anyone looking for something a bit different. It’s neither a restaurant nor a museum, but a home where owners Ana Maria and Jose Ignacio and their team of staff (all from the local village of Huayoccari) welcome you in. Well worth the visit!
