day 21: Visit the sacred valley of the incas.
Visit the Inca site of Pisac, located on a ridge overlooking the valley of the Urubamba, this fortress was used to control the comings and goings on the right bank of the Vilcanota River. It consists of a solar observatory or Intihuatana, a sacred area dedicated to the cults of the Andean deities, an agricultural area consisting of terraces and an area reserved for the inhabitants' accommodation.
Continuation towards the village of Pisac. Free time on the craft market allows you to discover all the Andean crafts: ponchos, alpaca and sheep textiles, jewellery, antiques, paintings, and many other quality items.
Lunch on your own in Urubamba.
Continue the discovery of the sacred valley of the Incas with a visit to the Maras salt works, a fabulous contrast in the heart of the valley. The saltworks consist of more than three hundred terraces on the mountainside; a short walk and discover the salt extraction mechanism (visit time: about 30 min).
Visit of the Ollantaytambo fortress. The strategic geographical location of this last Inca stronghold allowed them to resist the Spanish; the remains of the fortress bear witness to the clashes that took place following the loss of Cusco to the conquistadors. As it should be noted that the village has changed very little since the Inca era. The dressed stone walls, the organization of the village and the architecture of the houses and buildings remain essentially identical.
Dinner on your own in the sacred valley.
Overnight in the sacred valley.
Steps:
Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu PicchuOllantaytambo – Archaeological siteOllantaytambo – VillagePisac; archaeological sitePisac Market
