CHINCHERO: Located between Cusco and the province of Urubamba, the traditional village of Chinchero can be reached by a well paved road. Here you can appreciate the remains of the royal hacienda of Túpac Inca Yupanqui. On top of the old Inca walls, the Spanish conquerors built a pretty, colonial church. Throughout the vast complex you can admire the many monumental terraces which were built in the adjacent valleys.
Notably charming is the Sunday market of Chinchero, originally known for its vast counter trading between the communities in the mountains and those from the river valley. Nowadays the market is well known for its premium textiles, which are still being fabricated by hand according to ancient traditions.
MORAY: About 7 km north east of Maras at the end of a wide gravel road, you can find the terraces of Moray, famous for their circular shapes. A total of four natural depressions, similar to an amphitheater, make up the complex. Supposedly the terraces were used for agricultural experiments, testing different plants at different altitudes and climates. The terraces are made up of stone walls covered in extremely fertile soil and are interconnected by an elaborate irrigation system.
MARAS- SALTMINES: Apart from its colonial church, the small village of Maras, on the way from Cusco to Urubamba, is famous for its salt mines. Located in a ravine a little below the village, the salt mines are the main source of income for the village. Salt mining was being done here long before the Spaniards arrived in Peru. The view of the nested ponds and balancing along the salt water basins is an indescribable experience.
OLLANTAYTAMBO: is a picturesque village at the northern most end of the Sacred Valley, not too far from Machu Picchu. The town was named after the chief Ollanta who gained fame through his romance with the daughter of the Inka Pachakuteq - Kusi qoyllor.
From here, Cusco obtains most of its food supplies such as fruit, vegetables and cereals. The region is also home to many exotic birds, whose feathers were used to adorn the royal headdress of the Incas.
The silos and storage buildings for agricultural goods can still be seen within the archeological complex of Ollantaytambo. The best preserved part of the site stretches from the Plaza Hanan Huakaypata to the north and is made up of a block of 15 huts, built high upon well carved lithic walls. The site stretches along a hill which towers over the village. Within the complex you can visit the Temple of the sun, the royal hall or Mañarakay, the Inkawatana and the baths of the princess. High up on the hill, you can marvel at six enormous stone blocks, which have been perfectly fitted into each other. They are part of the enigmatic “tired stones” which consist of fifty huge, rectangular stone blocks, which have been left abandoned on the way up from the quarry to the site.
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