peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

served temples. A path leads up the hillside
to a series of ceremonial baths and around
to the military area. Looking across the Kitamayo
Gorge from the back of the site, you’ll
also see hundreds of holes honeycombing
the cliff wall. These are Inca tombs that
were plundered by huaqueros (grave robbers),
and are now completely off-limits to
tourists.
The site is large and warrants several
hours of your time. To walk there from town,
take the steep but spectacular 4km trail. It’s
about two hours up and 1½ hours back. It’s
highly worthwhile, but undeniably grueling:
recommended training for the Inca Trail!
Taking a taxi up and walking back is a good
option.
The footpath to the site starts from above
the west side of the church. There are many
crisscrossing trails, but if you keep heading
upward toward the terracing, you won’t get
lost. To the west, or the left of the hill as you
climb up on the footpath, is the Río Kitamayo
Gorge; to the east, or right, is the Río
Chongo Valley.
Horno Colonial San Francisco LANDMARK
(Mariscal Castilla s/n; snacks S2.50; h6am-6pm)
Huge clay ovens for baking empanadas and
other goodies and castillos de cuyes (miniature
castles inhabited by guinea pigs) are
found in many nooks and crannies, particularly
in Mariscál Castilla. But this is the
town’s most authentic – a colonial oven dating
back to 1830. Stop in for hot cheese and
oregano empanadas with chicha morada.
TAXI TOURS
If you are short on time to see the
sights outside Cuzco, consider taking a
taxi tour. Particularly if you have two or
more people, they can be a good deal,
and also allow you to take your time (or
not) visiting various ruins and markets.
From Cuzco, a tour of the Sacred Valley
(possibly including Pisac, Ollantaytambo,
Chinchero, Maras and Moray) runs
S120 to S150 (for the whole car); to the
Southern Valley (with options to Tipón,
Pikillacta and Raqcchi) costs around
S90 to S170.
One reliable option is Virgin Estrella
Taxi Tours (%973-195-551, 974-
955-374) in Cuzco.
If, for some strange reason, you only have
five minutes in Pisac, spend it here – you’ll
get a pretty good feel for the place.
Jardín Botanico
GARDENS
(%63-5563; Grau, cuadra 4; admission S6; h8am-
4:30pm) While you are wandering town, it’s
worth popping in to the botanical garden, a
private enterprise with a huge courtyard full
of beautiful specimens and a resident cat.
Club Royal Inka
SWIMMING
(admission S10; h8am-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 (see p225).
It’s about 1.5km out of town.
La Capilla»»
CHURCH
In recent times, the INC (Instituto Nacional
de Cultura), in a characteristically controversial
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 traditional
highland dress blowing horns and
varayocs (local authorities) with silver staffs
of office.
Amaru
VILLAGE
If you are interested in textiles, it’s worth
visiting this weaving community that’s a
40-minute trip by taxi.
z Festivals & Events
La Virgen del Carmen
FESTIVAL
Street processions and masked dancing
mark the celebration of ‘Mamacha Carmen’
who defeats demons climbing on rooftops
and balconies. This renowned celebration
of the Virgin of Carmen takes place from
around July 15 to July 18.
4 Sleeping
Pisac had become a new-age hub of sorts.
Foreign-run mystical and spiritual retreats
on the outskirts of town offer packages with
shamanic ceremonies; some are vastly more
commercial than others.
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Cuzco & the Sacred Valley T F P E H I S E AC T S I VA AC L R S E D & VA E V L E L N E T Y S