DestinationUrubamba, Cusco, Peru7 min read
The Sacred Valley of the Incas
Where to acclimatise before a big trek
Average rating 3.5 out of 5
3.52 reviews
Lower, warmer and greener than Cusco, the Urubamba valley is where we start every Peru trip: two nights among terraces, markets and Inca towns before the trail.
Start low, sleep low
Cusco sits at 3,400 m, and flying in from sea level is the single biggest cause of altitude headaches on our trips. The Sacred Valley floor is 500 to 600 m lower, which is why we send everyone straight there from the airport and leave Cusco for the end.
The valley follows the Urubamba river for about 60 km between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Pisac has a busy Sunday market and one of the most dramatic terrace complexes in Peru, set on a ridge above the town. Ollantaytambo is the best-preserved Inca town anywhere, still laid out on its original street grid, with water running through stone channels beside the lanes; its temple terraces were the site of one of the few Inca victories over the Spanish.
Between the two, the high plateau above Urubamba holds the circular terraces of Moray, probably an agricultural laboratory, and the salt pans of Maras, where families still harvest salt from a warm spring the way they have for five centuries. Both make an excellent half-day bike ride, and an easy first test of your lungs.
Valley highlights
Two good days in the valley
- Pisac ruins early, then the market and lunch in town
- Moray and Maras by mountain bike, finishing in Urubamba
- Ollantaytambo's temple at sunset, before the trains bring the day crowds
Ollantaytambo
About this story
Mateo QuispeAuthor
Andes TrailsPublisher
Reviews
Write a reviewAverage rating 3.5 out of 5
2 reviews- TTTara Traveler3 out of 5 stars25 Sept
Good information, but it skips over how cold the nights get. Our sleeping bags were not enough.
- OBOliver Bennett4 out of 5 stars10 Jun
Useful and well organised. I would add more on cheap places to eat in the smaller towns.
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