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PISAQ
This picturesque town with a blend of mestizo and colonial
architecture belongs to the province of Calca at the entrance
to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, 32Km down a modern
highway from the city of Cusco.
Founded during the reign of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo,
the town has both Western and native features that make
it an original and typical town of the region.
PISAQ ARTS AND CRAFTS MARKET
Here merchants offer for sale all sorts of handicrafts,
the most important of which are the textiles and ceramic
goods such as ceremonial goblets called "Q'eros",
plates, ashtrays, necklace and replicas of pre-Hispanic
pottery. There are also ponchos, sweaters and bag The
handicrafts fairs are held every Thursday and Sunday
in the main square o Pisaq, as well as the Indian market,
which is visited by inhabitants from the various native
communities to stock up on supplies or sell their products.
0 Sundays, there is also the traditional Mass held in
Quechua, which is attended by the Varayoc or village
leaders from the surrounding communities.
PISAQ ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX In the upper part there are the remains of this re-Columbian
settlement located a few kilometers from the mestizo town.
It takes up an entire mountain made up of different neighborhood
or squares, the main one being Intiwatana, which is admired
for the architectural skill with which its constructions were
built. At the same time, the pre-Hispani cemetery is also
of great interest as it is the largest found in this part
of the continent. There are thousands of tombs, some of them
looted. The complex is also famous for the colossal terraces
that circle the mountains and the fabulous watchtowers which
were used as observation points as well as for control and
military defense.
CALCA
This area has a beautiful landscape, surrounded by the Pitusiray
and Sawasiray snow-capped mountains. The archaeological complex
of Huchuy Qosqo is located in this province, as well as the
medicinal hot mineral baths of Machacancha (sulfurous hot
water) and Minasmoqo (cold bubbling mineral water). It is
located 50 km from Cusco.
YUCAY
A historic area, Yucay is a pretty valley inhabited by the
Runas of the Tahuantinsuyo who built impressive works of agricultural
engineering. This area is important for the palace of the
Inca Sairy Tupac 11, a construction made of stone and adobe
mud brick with haute- and bas-relief decorations. It was a
center of agricultural production for the Incas because of
its mild climate, fertile land, abundant water and vegetation,
especially fruit trees.
From Pisac to Urubamba
From Pisac, following the Vilcanota River towards the west,
the narrow route between the river and the hills passes through
the towns of Calca, Yucay and Urubamba before arriving at
Ollantaytambo. Yucay is associated with some important events
in Incan and colonial history. In the spacious Plaza de Armas
we find a beautiful, impressive tree, the pisonay, whose leafy
branches and beautiful flowers grant the town an air of festivity
and elegance. The ruins of the Palace of the Inca Huayna Capac
can also be found in this area. Urubamba is not located far
from here.Like many places along the valley Urubamba is in
a fine setting with snow-capped peaks in view, it has many
restaurants and pleasant dining areas with reasonable prices.
The nearby White Mountain range provides the area with scenery
of extraordinary beauty. The town offers the visitor a wide
range of possibilities for rest and lodging, and includes
a number of hotels and other lodging houses.
URUBAMBA
Located 78km from Cusco via Pisaq and 57km via Chinchero,
it is located in the heart of the Sacred Valley and is known
as the "Pearl of the Vilcanota" with beautiful countrysides
and a healthy climate, located at the foot of the majestic
snow-capped peak Chicón.
Urubamba, the archaeological capital of Peru, has many possibilities
for tourist activities, especially adventure tourism because
of its natural beauty. In the rain season there is an abundance
of seasonal fruit. The area was also a pre-Hispanic agricultural
center.
OLLANTAYTAMBO
This archaeological complex was a gigantic agricultural,
administrative, social, religious and military center
in the era of the Tahuantinsuyo. The Spaniards called
it the Fortress of Ollantaytambo. It is located 97km from
Cusco down a modem highway.
Once can see the architectural style of its streets and
squares which are distinctly pre-Hispanic, with enormous
polyhedrons forming the walls and trapezoidal doors of
temples and palaces. The urban distribution was set along
rectilinear and narrow streets which have been inhabited
constantly by natives since the Incas' time.
In the upper and western part of the city rises a mountain
which houses innumerable pre-Hispanic constructions such as
magnificent crafted temples and terraces. A striking construction
is the partially destroyed main temple, where once can see
the front stone carving made up of six perfectly built red
monoliths. It also has stepped molds, a characteristic made
by the Earth. This made academics to consider Ollantaytambo
a living museum.
TO MACHUPICCHU The town of Ollantaytambo
is located in the far western part of the Urubamba Valley,
in a place where the asphalt highway connects with the circuit
called the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the railway that
leaves Cusco bound for Machupicchu.
The train service covering the Cusco-Machupicchu route allows
tourists to visit the area, board the train in Ollantaytambo
and within two hours arrive in Puente Ruinas, from where buses
leave for the Machupicchu citadel.
This possibility of boarding the train at Ollantaytambo can
be done early in the morning or in the evenings from Monday
to Saturday or Sunday mornings only. On the other hand, one
can also get off at Ollantaytambo on the way back to Cusco
from Machupicchu, and begin to explore the Sacred Valley of
the Incas from there.
CHINCHERO
A former Inca agricultural center, this district of the
province of Urubamba i made up of 10 "Ayllus"
or indigenous communities. Located at 3,762 mete above
sea level, Chinchero is 28 km down a modem highway from
the Cusco tourist circuit. It possesses a beautiful Andean
landscape and is surrounded by the year-round snow-capped
peaks of Chicón, Wequey Willca (commonly Calle
Puna Sillo or Veronica).
The current town of Chinchero is a blend of Andean and
Hispanic architec and is also home to a unique archaeological
complex, with the remains o buildings, places of worship,
and terraces for crops and for foundations.
It boast a beautiful colonial church with paintings by
famous indigenous artist Chiwantito There is also a typical
Sunday market, colorful and authentic where indigenous
peasants from different communities congregate to trade
their goods, not only in money but also trading by barter.
It is well-known for its woven handcraft of the region.
Maras salt flats and the
circular ruins in Moray
Maras, from which one
can reach the salt flats and the Moray ruins, is located
on the northwestern side before entering the city of
Cuzco.The salt flats display a spectacle of unusual
beauty. Located on a wide-open hill above the Urubamba
Valley, the salt water runs along channels, which extend
through the flooded lands and follow a more or less
rectangular pattern, depending on the variations in
the land. The water, which is exposed to the sun, leaves
salt on the bed. Viewed from the peak, the myriad of
rectangles look Like an enormous painting designed by
nature. Inland, not far from Maras, one can find the
Moray ruins, there are three "colosseums"
, used by the Incas as a sort of open-air crop laboratory
,the terraces arranged in concentric circles and spread
out at intervals from the lower to the upper region.
are reminiscent of a Greek theatre. For this reason,
it is not clear exactly what role they played. The structure
of these terraces seems to suggest agricultural activity
which employed the air circulation within the circular
area and the advantages offered by this type of construction
for employing ram water as well as water from nearby
regions.
GASTRONOMY
There is a variety of delicious gastronomic specialties. Those
that stand out are corn-based dishes such as corn-on-the-cob
with fresh cheese, corn cream, tamale pastries and corncake,
as well as fried trout, pork fritters and stuffed chili peppers
called "Rocoto". There are also typical drinks such
as chicha de jora (maize beer), white chicha and from November
to March, a fruit drink based on wild strawberries.
HUNTING AND FISHING
River fishing can be done from April to October and small
scale hunting in the surrounding of the valley.
FLORA AND FAUNA
The valley is mainly agricultural, where the finest corn in
Peru is produced, one that is highly nutritious and of excellent
quality. The area also produces varieties of potatoes, cereals,
greens and fruits like apples, peaches, plums and strawberries
as well as a variety of decorative plants. The fauna includes
a great variety of animals such as deer, the vizcacha rodent
similar to a rabbit, minks, skunks, foxes and pumas. There
are also birds like doves, thrushes, goldfinches and hummingbirds.
The Vilcanota or Urubarnba River is rich in salmon trout and
rainbow fish. It also has plenty of cattle, sheep, pigs and
horses.
EXCURSIONS AND TRANSPORT
There are several travel agencies in Cusco which organize
excursions and trips to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and
if only transport is needed, it is recommended to take the
tourist services.
Jump to : Sacred Valley and Cusco
Tours showroom
This beautiful and suggestive valley between the towns of
Pisaq and Ollantaytambo was greatly admired by Peruvians'
ancestors due to its special conditions such as its beneficial
climate, its fertile lands and the presence of the Wilcamayu
or Sacred River.
Andean Man, with the incentive provided by the qualities granted
by Mother earth, built architectural constructions related
to agriculture, which was the ancient Peruvian's main activity.
In this area, the Incas found the perfect place to leave proof
of their intrinsic knowledge of hydraulic engineering and
their deep love of nature. This is why today still stand aqueducts,
irrigation canals, the damming of the Wilcamayu River, imposing
sets of terracing and centers of worship of Mother earth or
Pachamama. This is the area called the Sacred Valley of the
Incas.
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