The Sacred Valley of Cusco

Tourism is very present everywhere in Cusco and prices are inflated. With a bit of a grudge and against this mass tourism, we purchased the obligatory boleto touristico to visit the Sacred Valley. We decide however not to take an organized tour and went from one site to another with local transport.

Our first stop is Pisac, a hilltop Inca citadel set on a plateau with plunging gorges on each side. It is here that we discover the famous Inca agricultural terraces unbroken by steps. The Incas prefered to optimize the space by making diagonal steps in the wall, ingenious!

Next on our day tour was Ollantaytambo. The ruins here are set above steep sun-filled terraces. Just as in Pisac what impressed us the most in not only the architecture which stands today, but the surroundings in which it is built. We are at 3000m above sea level set in luscious mountaiins and surrounded by snowy peaks, breathtaking!

Our last stop is Chinchero, a typical Andean village at 3762 m with a colonial church built on Inca foundation, trapezoidal terraces and a colourful craft market where locals still dress in traditional attire. The atmosphere here is relaxed and with the light of the sunset we feel transported in the pre-columbian era, spectacular!

It was a very rewarding experience to visit the Sacred Valley at our own pace. It seemed that everybody took an organized tour and they all looked like rushed sheeps. Even though one taxi ripped us off by given us fake bills, we wouldn't have done it differently.