In my last post I talked about Lima and what a Great Place that was. This post, I’m revisiting my trip to Cusco and the Valley of the Incas in October 2023. This was a bucket list vacation and it didn’t disappoint. As far as I’m concerned this is truly one of the world’s Great Places and shouldn’t be missed.
General tips for Valley of the Incas (more on Machu Picchu in another post):
Altitude sickness is real. The local advice is to drink mata tea. Mata is not for everyone and can be merged with other herbs or drugs so be careful. Hotels do have extra oxygen available if you want it. I drank a ton of water and stayed in bed for a few days and that did the trick.
The sun is very hot. Sunscreen and a big floppy hat are important, as are layers. The Andean weather can change quickly so also bring a windbreaker/rain gear, hiking boots, and a fleece.
For a day pack, I like the Quechua 10L but any size will do. My hiking boots are Quechuas too (all coincidental) but something light is your friend.
Once again, Uber and Whatsapp are your apps of choice.
Languages: you should absolutely know some Spanish in Cusco and in the Incan valley. Spanish will be enough to get you around Cusco but Quechua is more common in the archaeological sites and in the valley.
On that note a tour guide is recommended, precisely because of the language barrier. It can also be confusing to figure out how to register for the right tours, buses, and trains for Machu Picchu and having someone experienced with the policies, the right fees, and who is prepared for what you will encounter will be handy.
But first, Cusco. I flew into Cusco airport which is very small! There’s one terminal, and they have one conveyor belt functioning at a time. The airport is a little out of town so I’d suggest having an Uber or a taxi from the hotel pick you up. I wouldn’t suggest taking a taxi from outside the airport. It may be cheaper but you don’t know where they’ll take you.
There are plenty of hotels in town to stay at but prices vary. I stayed at the Wyndham Costa del Sol Cusco when I first got to Cusco as it was central, included breakfast as part of the rate, and was more reasonable than some of the other popular options (such as the JW Marriott). After my trip to the Valley of the Incas and before my departure from Cusco, I stayed at Antigua Casona Son Blas, a boutique hotel in the neighborhood of Son Blas. It was the perfect stay after Macchu Picchu and other sites, and a great place to rest and get some pampering. The on-site restaurant was delicious, the spa was worth it, and the on-site laundry service was reasonably priced with a great turnaround time.
In terms of tour guides, I used Adios Adventure Travel and was lucky enough to have the co-founder Vidal Jacqueha as my tour guide. I cannot say good enough things. Vidal speaks Quechua (which he learned from his family), Spanish, and English, grew up in the area, and is an expert in local tourism in the area. He is well versed in folklore, culture, and local agriculture and will customize itinerary to your interests, and is super prepared.
Vidal took my family and I to several places over our three day stay. The first place on our way to the Valley of the Incas was Chinchero. Chinchero is one of several districts in the Urubamba, where individual towns have their own specialties. The residents of Chinchero are largely known for their expertise in weaving and in textiles, and predominantly speak Quechua.
After Chinchero, we went to the salt mines of Maras. The salt mines are a UNESCO World Heritage site, have existed in some form for centuries, and are community run and owned. Community members can buy a self-contained mine, if you will, where they have to walk on the edges and harvest salt by hand. It is locally and cooperatively owned, and gives an amazing sense of ancient aqueducts. It is extraordinarily hot, though, and I’d strongly recommend a hat to shield your face from the sun, long sleeved white shirts to protect your skin, sun glasses, and of course sunscreen.
Following Maras, we went to the ancient agricultural site of Moray which is about a 5 minute drive from Maras. Moray is an Incan ruin that served as a way for Incans to adapt crops over the course of several years and then distribute it throughout the Empire. The ruins - a series of concentric circles - were strategically built between two mountains of the Andes and designed to take advantage of the wind. Besides being incredible and an agricultural marvel, it is also beautiful and peaceful to walk around. You’ll find yourself between the glacier capped mountains of the Andes, and warmer mountains on the other side of the Valley. And when it gets chilly, you can see just how effective the Incans were at using their natural surroundings to adapt crops.
After Moray, we drove through the valley and into the village of Ollaytantambo located on the Urubamba river and which is home to the boarding station to get to Machu Picchu. Ollaytantambo is known for being the longest inhabited site in the Valley since the Incas. I was pretty wiped out but visitors can also hike the beautiful Sun Temple if they want to, from which there is a beautiful view.
After a few hours stay, we boarded the train to Machu Picchu, which Vidal helped advise us on. I think Machu Picchu is worth a separate post so I’ll tackle that next time. But if you can’t make it to Machu Picchu there’s plenty to take in in Cusco itself. Vidal took us to Sacsahuaman, an ancient site bordering the outskirts of the city. All I’ll say is it’s a massive complex, worth a couple hours exploration at least, and definitely something you want a tour guide’s assistance with. Vidal had rain ponchos and windbreakers (and fleeces and scarves!) for those of us who were unprepared as it does get windy on the mountain complex.
In the meantime, I hope to go back to Cusco someday and hope you make it there, too! If you have tips, please let me know. Otherwise I look forward to hearing about your trip!
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