peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

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262 Cuzco & the Sacred Valley T C H u E zC H O I K TO E T I VO H E C J H U OT N G E L E Santa María you can connect to Cuzco (S25-50, five to six hours). QUILLABAMBA %084 / POP 8800 / ELEV 1050M Welcome to the jungle! Quillabamba’s tropical vibe is palpable, with heat that becomes oppressive by 9am, music that blares all night, and the land-that-time-forgot feel to most hotels and restaurants. Quillabamba itself has few attractions and sees little tourism, but there are some outstanding, watery natural attractions nearby. The streets north and south of the Mercado Central, rather than the eternally somnolent Plaza de Armas, are Quillabamba’s commercial center. 1 Sights & Activities Locals are justifiably proud of Sanbaray (admission S5; h8am-late), a delightful complex of swimming pools, lawns, bars and a decent trout restaurant. It’s a 10-minute mototaxi ride (S3) from the center. La Balsa, hidden far down a dire dirt track, is a bend in the Río Urubamba that’s perfect for swimming and river tubing. Enterprising locals sell beer and food here on weekends. Mandor, Siete Tinajas and Pacchac are beautiful waterfalls where you can swim, climb and eat jungle fruit straight off the tree. Siete Tinajas and Pacchac are accessible via public transport for a few soles each to Charate; taxi transport to Mandor with waiting time will set you back S25. T Tours & Guides Eco Trek Peru ADVENTURE TOUR (%in Cuzco 24-7286; www.ecotrek<strong>peru</strong>.com) This agency has passionate specialists in multiday trips in this part of the world. Bici Aventura BIKING (Calle 2 de Mayo 423) Provides information, bikes and guides for road and single-track missions. Roger Jara GUIDED TOUR (rogerjaraalmiron@hotmail.com) Guided trips to all of the attractions listed above, as well as remnant virgin jungle near Quillabamba. Roger can also guide you through the area’s big draws, Pongo de Mainique and Vilcabamba. He speaks some English. 4 Sleeping There are many cheap, cold-water hostels around the Plaza de Armas and the Mercado. Hostal Don Carlos HOTEL $$ (%28-1150; www.hostaldoncarlosquillabamba.com; Jirón Libertad 556; s/d/tr S75/110/120; i) With an onsite cafe, this colonial-style hotel features bright, ample rooms around a sunny interior courtyard. Rooms have hot showers and frigobars. It’s half a block from the Plaza de Armas. Hostal Alto Urubamba»» HOTEL $ (%28-1131; altourubamba@gmail.com; 2 de Mayo 333; s/d/tr S45/75/85, s/d/tr without bathroom S20/30/40) Clean, comfortable-enough rooms with fans encircle a sunny courtyard in this dementedly noisy, long-established traveler favorite. 5 Eating & Drinking Looking at the heladerías (ice-cream shops) on every corner, you could be forgiven for assuming that locals subsist on ice cream. Given the shortage of alternatives, you could be forgiven for doing the same. Pizzería Alamos PIzzERIA $ (Espinar s/n; pizzas from S10; h7am-11pm Mon- Sat, 3-11pm Sun) No other place in town is quite so kind to foreign tourists. Staffed by enthusiastic youth, this restaurant fires up pizzas that are big enough to feed an army of Inca warriors, and the open-air courtyard bar is a local hangout after dark. Heladería la Esquina ICE CREAM $ (cnr Espinar & Libertad; sandwiches from S3; h8am-11pm Mon-Sat) This retro cafe serves up delicious juices, cakes, ice cream and fast-food snacks. Service is grouchy, but the 1950s-diner decor makes up for that. Niko’s (Pio Concha s/n) For a drink, try Niko’s. 8 Information BCP (Libertad 549) and Banco Continental on Bolognesi near the corner of Grau have ATMs and change US dollars. There’s arm-chewingly slow internet access at a few places around the Plaza de Armas. Limited tourist information is available on the 3rd floor of the Municipalidad. BAR 8 Getting There & Away Walk south along Torre four blocks past Plaza Grau, to Plaza de Banderas, to find transport to Huancacalle. Turn right at the end of Plaza de Banderas to find minivans (S35, five to seven hours) to Cuzco in the first block, and the terminal terrestre a block later. Buses for Cuzco (S25) leave from here several times a day before 8am and between 1:30pm and 9:30pm. Minivans leave early in the morning and in the evening. All
263 BE SAFE IN THE JUNGLE In recent times, the increased activity of narcotraffickers and Shining Path guerillas in specific jungle areas may alter advisable routes for travel and trekking. At the time of writing, the government was increasing military presence in these areas for security. However, it is always wise to consult with knowledgeable guides and tour operators, or an unaffiliated organization like South American Explorers (p260), before heading out. It is important to use good, responsible local guides and never go on your own. Currently, it is unadvisable to visit Vilcabamba, Ivochote, Kiteni and beyond, but we have included information on these areas as the situation is subject to change. stop at Ollantaytambo and Urubamba en route, but charge full fare wherever you get off. Minivans leave from Quillabamba’s market area for Kiteni (three to six hours) and Ivochote (six to eight hours), further into the jungle. 8 Getting Around The basic mototaxi fare around town is S2. HUANCACALLE %084 / POP 300 / ELEV 3200M Peaceful, pretty Huancacalle is best known as the jumping-off point for treks to Vilcabamba, but many more hikes from three to 10 days long are possible from here, including to Puncuyo, Inca Tambo, Choquequirau and Machu Picchu. The town’s biggest building is Hostal Manco Sixpac (%84-6006, 84-005, relative in Cuzco 974-922- 484; per person without bathroom S20), run by the Cobos family of local guides. It’s the only lodging with hot water. You can organize mules and guides here. Manco Inca’s huge palace fortress of Vitcos (also known as Rosaspata) is an hour’s walk up the hill, and from there you can continue to the amazing, <strong>sacred</strong> white rock of Yurac Rumi. The whole easy-to-follow circuit, which starts just over the bridge at the end of the road, takes a leisurely three hours, including plenty of time for photos and admiration of both scenery and ruins. VILCABAMBA The real ‘lost city of the Incas,’ Vilcabamba – also known as Espíritu Pampa – is what Hiram Bingham was looking for when he stumbled on Machu Picchu. The beleaguered Manco Inca and his followers fled to this jungle retreat after being defeated by the Spaniards at Ollantaytambo in 1536. The long, low-altitude trek, which takes four to nine days, is very rugged, with many steep ascents and descents before reaching Vilcabamba, 1000m above sea level. You can start at either Huancacalle or Kiteni. This area may be insecure, see the boxed text. IVOCHOTE & BEYOND At the time of writing, this area was considered unsafe for travelers, given activity of guerilla groups and narcotraffickers. Since the government has engaged in an active campaign to curb illicit activity, this may change by the time you read this. Regardless, it is wise to ask outfitters knowledgeable about the area about current conditions before traveling. A long eight-hour-plus bus journey from Quillabamba takes you through the oil town of Kiteni and on to the more remote Ivochote, a small jungle village with a few basic accommodations. This base connects further into Amazonia by river. The first major landmark past Ivochote is the Pongo de Mainique, a steep-walled canyon carved by cascading waterfalls on the lower Río Urubamba, which marks the border between Amazonia’s high and lowland cloud forest. Prolific bird life here includes military macaws and quetzals; there are also spider monkeys and many orchid varieties. Between June and November, boats can be found in Ivochote to take you there and back – the trip takes the best part of a day. You’ll pay anything from S60 to S450 per person; group size is a big factor. Past the Pongo, at the indigenous Matsiguenka (or Machigengua) community of Timpía, you can find local guides and transport for Santuario Nacional Megantoni. Accommodation is available at Sabeti Lodge (%84-81-2555, 84-81-3885; www.sabetilodge.com; s/d with full board US$105/160), owned by the community. There’s fishing and wildlife watching. You can also camp on the riverside. Given that instructions are needed to arrive, it’s best to reserve ahead. Cuzco & the Sacred Valley T C H u E zC H O I K TO E T I VO H E C J H U OT N G E L E
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