Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
giant landslides, the stonework and
panoramas at the citadel are magnificent.
On a large natural balcony, a semicircle
of buildings is gracefully positioned
under row upon row of fine stone terraces
thought to represent a partridge's wing
(
pisac
means “partridge”). In the upper
sector of the ruins, the main
Temple of
the Sun
is the equal of anything at Machu
Picchu. Above the temple lie still more
ruins, largely unexcavated, and the
honeycombed cliff wall opposite the
fortress is the handiwork of agile grave
robbers who desecrated the cliff tombs.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus
From Cusco, Calca-bound buses via Pisac leave from
Tullumayo 207 (5am-7pm, every 15min; 1hr), returning
from the main street where they drop you off in Pisac
throughout the day.
Ulrike's Café
C Pardo 613. Set over two floors and a roof-
top terrace, this German-run restaurant with wi-fi is a
pleasant place to hang out. Thin-crust pizzas are baked
in the wood-burning oven on Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun,
although the burgers (S13) remain their bestseller. Set
menu S20. Daily 8am-9pm.
URUBAMBA AND AROUND
Spread-out
URUBAMBA
lies about 80km
from Cusco via Pisac or around 60km via
Chinchero. Although it has little in the
way of obvious historic interest, the town
has numerous connections to other parts
of the Sacred Valley and is situated in
the shadow of the beautiful Chicon and
Pumahuanca glaciers.
The attractive Plaza de Armas is
laidback and attractive, with palm trees
and a couple of pines surrounded by
interesting topiary. At the heart of the
plaza is a small fountain topped by
a maize corn, but it is dominated by
the red sandstone
Iglesia San Pedro
. At
weekends there's a large
market
on Jirón
Palacio, which serves the local villages.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Blue Llama
Plaza de Armas. Part restaurant, part shop,
the calm pink and blue shades and soothing music
here make for a relaxed spot to grab a meal (S13-21).
There's also a vegetarian menu (S18). Free wi-fi. Daily
7.30am-8.30pm.
Club Royal Inca
T
084 203 064,
W
hotel-royal-inca
-sacred-valley.com. An excellent place to camp, 1.5km
out of town. Not only do you get access to the club's
facilities, such as the restaurant and Olympic-sized pool,
but each fenced-off camping area com
es w
ith barbecue,
an electricity plug and a light. Camping
S20
Samana Wasi
Plaza de Armas 509
T
084 203 133.
Located right on the main square, this guesthouse offers
clean tiled rooms and wi-fi throughout. Those with shared
bath have lovely views over the square. The in-house
restaurant offers plenty of
tro
ut dishes (S20), as well as
meat favourites (S14-20).
S45
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Urubamba makes an ideal base from
which to explore the mountains and lower
hills around the Sacred Valley, which are
filled with sites. The eastern side of the
valley is formed by the
Cordillera
Urubamba
, a range of snowcapped peaks
dominated by the summits of Chicon and
Veronica. Many of the ravines can be
hiked, and on the trek up from the town
you'll have stupendous views of Chicon.
Moray
, a stunning Inca site, lies about
Chaullay & Quillabamba
Puente Ruinas
Machu
Picchu
Aguas Calientes
Yucay
Ollantaytambo
Urubamba
88 KM
Ollantaytambo
Qoriwayrachina
Piscacucho
Intipunku
Salina
Tarabamba
Wiñay
Wayna
Phuyupatamarka
Pass
Patallacta
Moray
Intipata
Ayapata
Campsite
Phuyupatamarka
Maras
Sayaqmarka
Chaquiqocha
Runku
Raqay
Huayllabamba
Runkuraqay
Pass
Llulluchapampa
Paqàmayo
Huarmihuañusca
Pass
Huarocondo
Izcuchaca
0
10
Anta
kilometres
Nevado Salcantay
Abancay & Ayacucho
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