Three transparent pods bolted to a granite cliff, some 400 metres above Peru's Sacred Valley: Skylodge Adventure Suites is one of the most daring hotels in the world. To reach your bed you climb a via ferrata up the rock face, and in the morning you eat breakfast with the Urubamba valley spread out beneath your feet.

Transparent Skylodge capsules attached to a cliff in Peru’s Sacred Valley
Skylodge capsules on the cliff above the Sacred Valley. Photo: Natura Vive.

What is Skylodge Adventure Suites?

Skylodge was opened in 2013 by Natura Vive, a Peruvian adventure company that also runs via ferrata and zip-line trips in the Sacred Valley. It sits beside the Urubamba–Ollantaytambo road at kilometre 82–84, in the heart of the Inca heartland between Cusco and Machu Picchu.

The viral headlines of 2015 said the pods hang "400 feet" above the valley. The real figure is even more dramatic: the capsules are about 400 metres, roughly 1,300 feet, up the cliff.

Inside the transparent capsules

There are three capsules, named Luna, Silvestre and Miranda. Each is about 24 feet long and 8 feet high and wide (roughly 7.3 by 2.4 metres), built from aerospace aluminium and weather-resistant polycarbonate, and held to the rock by 20 anchor points. Every pod has four beds, a dining area and a private bathroom with an ecological dry toilet and sink.

The walls are transparent on all sides except the bathroom, giving a view of about 300 degrees, and curtains provide privacy. Solar panels power the lights. There is no shower and no Wi-Fi, and nights are cold: one visiting writer recorded about 2°C in June, so the beds come with down quilts and pillows.

Archive interior of a cliffside sleeping capsule
Inside a Skylodge capsule. Photo: Natura Vive.
Illuminated Skylodge capsule above valley lights beneath a night sky

Climbing the via ferrata

Getting there is half the adventure. Guests climb roughly 400 metres of cliff on a via ferrata, a protected route of metal rungs and fixed cables, clipped in with a double safety system and led by guides. No climbing experience is needed, but you should be reasonably fit; the ascent takes around two hours. Natura Vive also offers a demanding hike with zip-line sections as an alternative, and the zip lines are part of the way down the next morning.

Dinner is a four-course meal of Peruvian-inspired dishes served in the dining pod with a bottle of wine. Breakfast is served in the morning, often with Andean condors gliding past.

Participant suspended from a zipline beside a steep mountain slope
Two guests resting on a bed inside a transparent cliffside capsule
Skylodge capsule attached to a cliff above fields and a valley road
Compact bathroom inside a capsule with a view down into the Sacred Valley
Side view of a transparent capsule fixed to a rock wall
Two helmeted visitors standing above a capsule with the valley below

Booking and practical tips

  • Book early: with only three capsules, Skylodge often sells out 6 to 12 months ahead.
  • What's included: packages usually cover transport from Cusco (about 1 hour 40 minutes), climbing equipment, dinner and breakfast.
  • Age and fitness: the minimum age is usually 15, and the climb requires moderate fitness.
  • Pack light: you carry your own backpack up the cliff, so leave large bags at your hotel in Cusco or Urubamba.
  • Altitude: spend a few days around Cusco to acclimatise before the climb, and dress in layers with a windproof jacket, because the mountain weather changes quickly.

Natura Vive also sells day visits, including a via ferrata and zip-line combination and lunch at Skylodge, for travellers who want the climb and the view without the overnight stay.

Sources