Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(admission S10; 8am-4pm)
Ideal for families, this private recreation area is a fabulous
place to while away an afternoon. A day pass allows access to an Olympic-sized indoor
pool that's decked with fountains, grassy areas and an ornamental duck pond. There's also
a restaurant, a trout pond and facilities for barbecues, billiards, table tennis, volleyball,
tennis and
sapo
(
Click here
)
.
It's about 1.5km out of town.
La Capilla
In recent times, the INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura), in a characteristically controver-
sial move, demolished the church in the main square in order to reconstruct it in colonial
style. Masses, which have moved to a nearby chapel, are worth visiting. On Sunday, a
Quechua-language mass is held at 11am.
Traditionally dressed locals descend from the hills to attend, including men in tradition-
al highland dress blowing horns and
varayocs
(local authorities) with silver staffs of of-
fice.
CHURCH
Amaru
If you are interested in textiles, it's worth visiting this weaving community that's a
40-minute trip by taxi.
VILLAGE
COMMUNITY TOURISM IN THE SACRED VALLEY
In recent times, rural communities of the valley have become far more accessible to visitors. While usually hospit-
able to passersby, they feature little infrastructure for visitors, so it's best to organize a visit in advance. Some great
options include:
La Tierra de los Yachaqs
( 971-502-223;
www.yachaqs.com
)
A rural tourism network. Guests visit Andean
communities, trek to highland lakes and learn about natural medicine and artisan traditions.
Parque de la Papa
( 084-24-5021;
www.parquedelapapa.org
; Pisac)
Day treks and cooking workshops are
some of the offerings of this new nonprofit which promotes potato diversity and communal farming.
For a guided trip to visit traditional communities, check out these recommended operators:
Journey Experience
(
www.thejoex.com
),
Chaski Ventura
Offline map
Google map
(
www.chaskiventura.com
)
and
Respons
