Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu

Our experience allows us to know the Inca Culture in all its splendor, enjoying the comfort in each space and the necessary security, the places that we will know are:

• The Basilica of the Cathedral of Cusco: It is located in the main square of the city, it is a colonial archaeological monument of great artistic and historical value, it was built on the Kiswar Kancha site, which was the place of residence of the 8th Inca ruler, the Inca Viracocha. The Temple of the Holy Family and the Temple of El Triunfo were also built on this same Inca site. Inside you can see the carved wood works such as the Choir, the Pulpit and the Altars, in the same way beautiful paintings of the Cusco school and works in embossed silver.
• The Qoricancha Temple: It was the most important religious center within the city built to worship the Sun (the most important Deity in the time of the Incas) and other deities (Stars, Rainbows, Lightning and Moon). On the foundations of the Qoricancha, the Santo Domingo temple was built and it also has beautiful paintings from the Cusco school in its colonial art gallery.
• Sacsayhuaman: It was built using large stones, joined with amazing precision simulating a puzzle, for a long time it was considered a fortress due to the height of its walls, however current studies consider it to be a multifunctional center since it has a storage sector and also religious. We will also enjoy the wonderful viewpoint that we have in the place to see the city. At present, the Inti Raymi festival is held in this place.
• Qenqo (Labyrinth): Considered as an Inca ceremonial center. An open space called an amphitheater stands out where its idols and mummies were found in the 19 trapezoidal niches it has, although it is currently up to half its true height due to the passage of time.
• Puka pukara: It has a name in Quechua that means the red fortress, the reddish color that it shows is due to the large amount of iron that its stones contain, it is deduced that the place was an old tambo that served as a rest and also to guard, according to some records. this place is probably the original Tambomachay since this place has a small cave.
• Tambomachay: This archaeological complex is made up of a set of finely carved stones, waterfalls and aqueducts from nearby fountains and springs, which is why it is related to the cult of water and for this reason the original name of the place is probably Quinua Puquio which refers to the worship of Water.
• Pisac: Its name refers to the partridge and is related to the shape of the Archaeological Center. This contains different sectors such as the Andenería Area where we can see that they fulfilled the function of Agriculture and at the same time of support since this was built in the upper part of the mountain, another sector is the Urban one where there are enclosures for the people who they inhabited, we also find the largest recorded Inca cemetery and a religious area where we can find the Intihuatana, where ceremonies related to the Sun god were performed. It is located at the base of the mountain where we can still find records of the colonial history that is kept alive. Most of the houses and their Temple were built with stones from the Archaeological Center. This town keeps alive the tradition of ceramics with its artisans and agriculture with its extensive crop fields.
• Ollantaytambo: Its name refers to the partridge and is related to the shape of the Archaeological Center. This contains different sectors such as the Andenería Area where we can see that they fulfilled the function of Agriculture and at the same time of support since this was built in the upper part of the mountain, another sector is the Urban one where there are enclosures for the people who they inhabited, we also find the largest recorded Inca cemetery and a religious area where we can find the Intihuatana, where ceremonies related to the Sun god were performed. It is located at the base of the mountain where we can still find records of the colonial history that is kept alive. Most of the houses and their Temple were built with stones from the Archaeological Center. This town keeps alive the tradition of ceramics with its artisans and agriculture with its extensive crop fields.
• Maras: The town of Maras was founded by the Spanish in the year 1556, its importance during the viceroyalty stood out (it was the main supplier of salt in the Andes), as evidenced by its church dedicated to San Francisco de Asís and the mansions that still preserve the almost intact shields belonging to each family of the indigenous nobility on their facades, even with the passage of time you can read the date inscribed on which they were built on many of them. The Salinas de Maras on the other hand has an older history belonging to the Inca period, they are located on the slope of the hill, these are shaped like pools that are crossed by a small stream that provides salt water to each one. The use of the Salt of Maras is varied since it is now commercialized and can be used in medicinal baths, personal consumption and others. Its collection process is passed from generation to generation, but it is managed in a communal way where all the inhabitants participate.
• Moray: A particular Archaeological complex that today still causes great curiosity when visited due to the shape of the design it has. They are circular terraces that simulate in some way the Amphitheater that we find in the Roman culture, according to the investigations that were made since the 90s, this place fulfilled the function of adapting the seeds of the various products in the different altitudinal floors that the Valley has. Sacred, this allowed for a great variety of products in each place and at the same time gave the possibility of new varieties. With the use of spectral thermometers, it was also determined that each circular terrace has a different temperature, which allows adaptation to be more efficient since the climate in the entire region is always changing.
• Humantay Lagoon: It bears the name of Humantay because of its location at the base of the snow-capped mountain that bears this name. The formation of this lagoon is due to the melting produced over the years and its peculiar coloration is produced by greenish microalgae, possibly of the species Microcystis aeruginosa and Oscillatoria, these mixed with the crystallinity of the water and solar radiation. produce the particular effect that draws everyone's attention.
• Mountain of Colors: The origin of this mountain is due to 2 very important factors, the first is an internal factor that thanks to the clash of tectonic plates (Continental Plate and Nasca Plate) gives rise to the large number of mountains, including the formation of the Cordillera of the Andes and in this place it gave rise to a pyramidal-shaped mountain, this sector had various layers of minerals and after the lifting of the earth's mantle, the layers were evidenced as fringes on the mountain. The second factor is the external one that helps in the preservation of the place and this is mainly the environment in which it is located. The main peculiarity of this place is that it is located in front of the Ausangate snow-capped mountain, for which its climate is always temperate.

By locating ourselves in the upper part of the mountain we can see the outstanding colors, these are produced by the amount of minerals that are in the place and they are: 

Red: Iron.

Green: Copper oxide,

Blue: Calcium carbonate,

White: lime and limestone,

Yellow: Sulphurous Mineral and Sulphur.

Behind the mountain we can find a space that has an ecosystem that is differentiated by the characteristics of the terrain, it is known as the Red Valley and it has a wide extension of this color caused by the iron oxide mineral that is stronger in this sector. All this space is an incredible place that makes it a wonderful destination.

• Guardian House: This beautiful place is located in the highest area of the Inca citadel on the Agricultural Area. Its function was to control the entrance to the Inca city and review the entire agricultural and urban area. From here you can see a panoramic view of the entire citadel and the entrance to the old Inca trail. It has three walls: In the central wall we find three large windows, which allow us to easily observe the entrance to the Inca trail and the Inca bridge, the only means of communication with the outside world. We can also see how the Incas covered the enclosures with a ichu roof.
• Llacta Punku: It is the income for the urban sector, it is located limited by a deep excavation. This sector is located from the cemetery by a long staircase towards the peripheral neighborhoods, it has a system of points to hold a wooden door, in person and not as an element of restriction or security since the city can also be accessed by other roads.
• Ceremonial Plaza: It is a set of enclosures made around a quadrangular patio, you can see three polygonal walls, made with immense stone pieces assembled perfectly. The presence of three windows and two niches on each side stands out. It is considered that the function of these windows was probably purely religious, next to this we can find a different enclosure called The House of the Priest.
• Temple of the Sun (1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.): This enclosure has a finely polished two-story structure: the first is semi-underground and the second features a beautiful semi-circular wall with perfect finishes, with an incline towards its interior due to what is called “Torreón”. It was used to celebrate religious ceremonies, especially during the months of June and December, special dates for the Solstices.  This Tower has two trapezoidal windows, one oriented towards the most extreme point of the winter solstice that takes place on June 22 and the other oriented towards the Puerta del Sol (Intipunku) for the summer solstice that occurs on June 22. from December. In the middle of this architecture we can find a central rock, polished in the shape of an altar that was used for the ceremonies of interpretation of the path that the sun followed. It is built on a large rock, under which there is a small cave, which has been worked and covered with a thin wall, this is because it probably fulfilled the function of a mausoleum, because it has niches of a moderate size, where they placed the mallquis or mummies where they were worshipped.

• Temple of the 3 windows: This enclosure has three polygonal walls, built with enormous stone pieces perfectly assembled, highlighting 3 windows and 2 niches at each end. The function they had was religious magic and not only aesthetic. It was Hiram Bingham who carried out excavations in the front part of this temple, finding a large amount of fractured ceramics and highlighting the detail of the bases of this temple with a depth of more than three meters, here is also the possible symbolic figure of the head of a carved llama, this image is allegorical to the camelid because of the importance it had as a beast of burden, supplier of meat and clothing to the Incas.
• Main Temple: It has a finely polished structure with beautiful finishes, an enclosure framed by only three walls, each of the large pieces have been carefully crafted. The central wall has a dimension of 11 meters. Behind the Main Temple there is an enclosure whose function was probably also for religious use according to the records obtained and whose stones have no less than 32 angles, which makes its meaning quite mysterious.
• Intihuatana (07:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.): It bears its name in Quechua, which translated means "Where the sun is tied", it is an area that corresponds to one of the highest sectors of the Urban Zone. This is the most important area of Machu Picchu, at the top of this area we can find a huge sculpture made and carved with flat surfaces, a column of 66 cm. tall and with finely carved faces that complement the sculpture. The total space of the Intihuatana measures 8.60 meters and 1.76 meters high. The Intihuatana, is one of the most enigmatic objects of Machu Picchu, it is related to the sunrise and the mountains. The movement of the Sun causes projections of shadows at different times, this served to recognize and interpret them in different periods of the year.
• Sacred Rock: It is a carved stone that resembles the silhouette of a mountain. It is located next to the control point to access the Huayna Picchu Mountain, made up of two Huayrana-type environments (three-walled environment), with very high ceilings that face each other forming a small, almost square plaza. This rock has an important location, since it is on the path that leads to two very important sites such as Huayna Picchu and the Temple of the Moon.
• Water mirrors: Its name is in relation to the enclosure where they are found as well as to the constructions that are in the place. It is a wide sector, with a single access door, which is why it is attributed to be an Acllahuasi or House of Selected Women who were dedicated to spinning, cooking and preparing chicha or acja, for the privileged class. Among the possible functions attributed to this space are: – In one of its rooms, you can see two circular rock protrusions, which have the shape of mortars, they were probably used to grind grains or prepare dyes. – It is also given the name of 2 water mirrors, because in the rainy season they agglomerate with water and allow you to see the reflected stars.
• Temple of the Condor (10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.): It is a wide set of constructions, made taking advantage of the irregular shapes and on a cave that was notoriously used for ceremonies. The condor was an animal worshiped during Inca times and associated with the divinity of the mountains. The area is delimited by stairs and finely carved walls, its access is controlled by a double jamb door, which shows the hierarchy and the activities that took place in this area, it presents a great variety of closed and open environments with one and two levels. In the central patio it has as its main point, a carved rock, where the representation of the head and part of the body of a condor can be clearly distinguished. You can see the head, beak and eyes, as well as the necklace of white feathers of the Royal Condor, with the body projected towards the interior of the cave, which subtly joins two natural rocks. In this sector you can see the clear union of natural rocks with others worked by man, seeking to represent a tutelary deity. In the underground cave (the body of the Condor) offerings, ceramics and bone remains of camelids were found, which confirm the quality of a "ceremonial center" where offerings were made. In front of the temple of the condor enclosure we will find a 2-story structure that has two entrance doors, the second level is flush with the patio of the condor and by observation it must have served as the enclosure of the priest, in charge of the worship of the Condor. You descend to the first level by a staircase that connects to other rooms. In an environment attached to it, sectors for raising animals were found, other stairs lead to a lower platform.
• Water sources: We can see a large staircase next to which runs a system of 16 waterfalls, most of them carefully carved in polygonal blocks and surrounded by gutters made in the rock. The water comes from a spring in the heights of the Machu Picchu mountain that was channeled in Inca times. A separate channel at the top of the mountain also associates the seepage of rain from the mountain and diverts it to the main channel.

• Flights: International or domestic air travel is not included.

• Huayna Picchu mountain ticket: Admission to this ascent hike must be reserved in advance, is subject to availability, and costs extra.

• Foods not mentioned: These can be requested.

• Personal expenses and Tips: How to buy handicrafts, clothes, drinks, etc. Tips are not included either, these are voluntary according to the service received.

• Travel insurance: It is a very important requirement for your safety and protection, for example in case of a medical emergency, the costs will be much lower.