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About Cusco Sacred Valley of the Incas |
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El Valle Sagrado de los Incas |
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One hour by car from the city of Cusco is the beautiful and fertile valley of the Urubamba River , better known as the Sacred Valley of the Inkas.
To visit the Sacred Valley there are several possibilities, but the best is by car along the Cusco - Písaq - Calca - Urubamba - Chinchero - Cusco route, which covers a distance of approximately 140 km (87 mi). In Incan times, the Sacred Valley was the agricultural center of the Inkas. The valley's rich lands are especially well-suited to growing high-quality corn known all over the world for its large and delicious kernels.
The valley's geography is dominated by the Vilcanota mountain range and agricultural terraces. Its unique geography makes the valley ideal for adventure sports such as rafting, mountain biking, hiking and hang gliding.
Pisaq:
Located 33 km (20.5 mi) from Cusco , this picturesque town is famous for its handicrafts and its Sunday market where all the Varayoq (mayors) from the different towns and communities of the region come to church, dressed up in their best outfits and holding a wooden stick as a sign of power.
The superb archaeological site located in Pisaq is in the high part of the Sacred Valley and includes an extensive group of agricultural terraces, stone steps, and polished stone walls. From |
the center of Pisaq, the archaeological site is accessible by following a 5 km (3.1 mi) stone path or by car along a 10 km (6.2 mi) paved road.
Ollantaytambo:
From Urubamba there is a 21 km (13 mi) road that leads to Ollantaytambo. This traditional town is located in the northern extreme of the Sacred valley. Ollantaytambo was named to honor the warrior Ollanta, famous for his romance with Kusi Qoyllur, the daughter of Inka Pachakuteq, and the town was a strategic military, religious and agricultural center of the Inkas.
One of its best preserved areas is located to the north of Ollantaytambo's Hanan Huacaypata Plaza . It is formed by a series of Spanish mansions built over walls of carved stone. Up on the hill stands the Archaeological Park of Ollantaytambo. This complex includes the Mañay Racay Square , the Intiwatana, and the Princess Baths, as well as the walls of the Royal House of the Sun whose main wall is composed of six large-stome blocks with small-stone couplings that are part of main altar. There are also the curious "tired stones" - enormous polished rocks extracted from the nearby quarry - Cachicata - 6 km (3.7 mi) away, but which were not brought all the way to their intended destination.
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