When in the Sacred Valley you are always accompanied by either the Urubamba river or the Vilcanota river. When visiting the valley, one can appreciate the towns of Pisaq, Yucay, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. In every town you can find pre-Hispanic archaeological ruins, which were built by different Incas and used as citadels or resting places. All of these towns are perfect places to buy handmade goods.
Pisaq
Pisaq is located 30 km from Cusco and it takes approximately 45 minutes by bus to get there. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays there are crafts fairs in the town’s main square, with the participation of artisans from the whole town who maintain a constant productive activity throughout the entire year. 9 km from the town of Pisaq, high in the mountains in the midst of cultivated terraces and the Inca constructions you can find the homes of the people who live in the Andes. Here there are 6 citadels which make up a stunning architectonic and historic panorama of the area.
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is 97km from Cusco. It was an agricultural, administrative, religious, military and social complex for the Incas which the Spaniards called “Fortaleza”.
Maras/Moray
Maras is located in the district of Maras, at a height of 3,380 meters above sea level, at a distance of 48,880 km from Cusco. Two roads come out of the town of Maras, one to the archaeological complex of Moray and the other to the salt mines of Maras, both approximately 6 km away from the town. The population of Maras can appreciate the range of snow-capped mountains around the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Vilcabamba.
Chincheros
Chinchero is located at a height of 3700 meters. The population lives in dwellings whose foundations and stone walls come from pre-Hispanic constructions, with colonial and modern additions. People here conserves their typical way of dressing, which is notable for the vivacity of colours and designs. They also barter at the Sunday fairs just as they did in the time of the Incas, though the residents now also use monetary transactions.