Tag: #sacredvalley
Sacred Valley (Hikes)

Sacred Valley (Hikes)

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Salineras de Maras & Moray

Not only is it full of magnificent Inca ruins, the sacred valley of Peru boasts a stunning nature which can be enjoyed through a number of hiking trails. The hike that I did and will be described in this post will take you, not only, through unspoiled nature away from mass tourism, but also will pass by two of the must-see ruins/sights in the sacred valley; and as always…All On Your Own…So let us begin:)

Urubamba → Salineras de Maras → Moray:

This hike is fairly easy and suitable for the average hiker; albeit, it is a bit long. So, based in Cusco, you’ll need to start your day early to take your time and enjoy all it has to offer.

To get to the start of the hike from Cusco, again the collective is your savior:) As you now became an expert with how to navigate your way in the sacred valley through collectivos, there is a designated stop in Cusco for the collectivos heading directly to Urubamba, or you can take a collective to Pisac then Urubamaba (click to request info).

Urubamaba is in the middle of the sacred valley and when you arrive there, the collective will drop you on the main sacred valley’s road adjacent to the river. Don’t enter Urubamaba itself, instead head across the street towards the river to reach the trailhead (click to request info).

Immediately when you start hiking you’ll cross a wooden bridge over the river and then you’ll find a small gate and a little boy selling tickets to Salineras. Don’t be alarmed, it is not a scam!! But because you took the road less-traveled to reach Salineras, this is not the main gate that all tourists use to reach the salt mines. Buy your ticket and be ready to reach Salineras like no other tourist:)

The hike from the gate to the salt terraces of Salineras is an uphill hike, yet it is fairly moderate and will take you around 40 minutes to reach your destination.

The trail digs itself in the pass between the hills and along the way you’ll get amazing views of the valley behind you…so enjoy.

 

Since you took the road less-traveled, you’ll reach Salineras from the bottom, unlike the tour groups’ tourists, so you’ll have this section of the mines to yourself:) 

The way these mines are engineered from ancient times and the fact that they are still operational till today is fascinating. You can walk on the terraces themselves but be careful not to slip…so enjoy and admire this marvelous engineering feat. When you are ready, head your way up the terraces to the main gate from which tour groups arrive and say a final goodbye to those amazing mines.

Now that you finished the first leg of the hike, take a break and rest because the next leg is very long and it is the true definition of “off-the-beaten-pass”!

There is a road connecting Salineras to Moray, but few people know that there is also a hiking trail along the ridge of the mountains that takes you directly there. First, you’ll start walking on the main road and after few meters you’ll venture into a side road away from the tour buses. On this road, you’ll be totally alone…Only you, some wildlife, and stunning nature! 

It is a serene and a very satisfying feeling to be so immersed in nature with no civilization around you to spoil the views! But don’t let the serenity take you along this road for too long because very shortly you’ll take a detour to the hiking trails (click to request info).

Once you find the trail, it’ll be a straightforward hike to Moray on a mostly flat terrain; however, it is a long trail which will take you around 3 hours to complete.

Congratulations!!! You’ve arrived at Moray On Your Own and via a route that few people take; and, above all, this isn’t one of the main ruins on the tourists’ trail so there will be few people around. Enjoy this ancient amphitheater; and then you’ll need to arrange your ride back to Cusco.

There are no collectivos or public transportation from Moray to Cusco, so the best way to go back is to find a local taxi (I’ve to admit, not many stop there), or hitchhike a ride and pay a small fee to a local guy. It might sound alarming that you might get stuck in Moray, but don’t worry you’ll find your way back and actually this is part of the fun of doing it On Your Own…SO ENJOY:)
Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

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Towns & Ruins

I explored the magnificent towns of the sacred valley on two different routes which I recommend to every independent traveler and they both can be done On Your Own:

  • Cusco → Tipon → Cusco:

Tipon is not in the sacred valley proper, yet it lies at a high elevation to the south of the valley; yet there are some beautiful ruins here that are worth the trip.

It is really easy and straight-forward to go to Tipon on your own, you don’t need to join a cramped organized tour for that. From Cusco, you’ll take a collective directly to Tipon which takes around 30 minutes and for only 5 soles; however, as there are different collectivo stops in Cusco, depending on your destination, you’ll need to head to the right one for Tipon (click to request info).

Arriving at Tipon, you’ll start hiking to the ruins. Since the ruins are outside of town, which makes them more magical, you’ll hike around 3 hours (each way) to visit them on a well-marked trail. From the collective stop, you’ll see signs to the ruins or you can ask any local about “el camino” to the ruins and they will point which direction to you. The hike is about 1-1:30 hours of an uphill climb to the first terraces of the ruins. The first section of the trail consists of a dirt road passing through some local houses which will then be followed by a trail in the mountains with some beautiful scenery.

These ruins are off-the-beaten-path of the sacred valley and few tour groups go there which makes them much more special. When you arrive at the ruins, you’ll find yourself almost alone there and you be free to explore as much as you want of these ruins, take lots of pictures of your, almost private, Inca ruins; and if you still have an appetite for more ruins, you’ll see signs for “Pucara” which is another ruin’s site close-by. After getting your ruins’ fix:) you can head back to Cusco, same way as you came, or you can try the “cuy” in Tipon (click to request info).

  • Cusco → Pisac → Ollantaytambo → Cusco:

This tour is about visiting the small towns of the sacred valley and their ruins, on your own, and soak in the cultural and historic highlights of this special spot of our planet. In order to be able to optimize your time and be able to visit all the highlights on a day-trip from Cusco, you’ll have to get a grasp of the sacred valley’s geography and have a good map with you (click to request info).

The first stop in this tour will be Pisac. Apart from its ruins, Pisac is famous for its bustling market and a trip to visit this market should be on each explorer’s itinerary. To reach Pisac from Cusco, take a collective from its designated stop (click to request info) which will take you directly to Pisac’s main street. Get out here and walk in the direction away from the river and you’ll find the famous market.

You’ll be tempted to explore the market now, but I recommend to wait till you visit the ruins and explore it on your way back. The ruins are up in the hills, so continue walking through the market away from the river till you reach a dirt road which you’ll follow easily to the ruins. But be warned, the hike up to the ruins is fairly steep and if this is your rest day:) then you can take a taxi or hitchhike your way directly to the ruins. After exploring the ruins, the hike back is downhill and easy and takes you directly to the market. So now its shopping time:) Explore the market at your leisure, there are some hidden gems here and true bargains; however, expect to haggle the prices down with the merchants who are mostly friendly and smiling.

Exploring Pisac should take you around 3-4 hours after which you’ll ride all the way along the river to your next stop…Ollantaytambo. Again, from the main road in Pisac where the collective dropped you, you can take another collective to Ollantaytambo or hitchhike your way, but expect to pay a little fee.

Ollantaytambo is a little charming village famous for its Inca ruins. These ruins were used as defensive structures against the Spaniards and they are, in my opinion, the best ruins outside Machu Picchu. You can visit the ruins easily on your own or you can hire a local guide to give you a brief history about the ruins and the village. After visiting the ruins, don’t miss strolling around the old town and have the famous local drink at one of the village’s watering holes:) (click to request info).

Finally, when you are ready to head back to Cusco, there is a direct collective from here, but be aware that this collectivo will drop you at a different stop than the one you started your tour from (click to request info).    

 

 
Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley

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Sacred Valley

The sacred valley of the Incas is one of the famed attractions of Peru and it is comprised of a number of small villages and towns, each with its own character and ruins. Although this part of the country is swarmed with tour companies and tour groups, you can still do it on your own. If big AC buses aren’t your thing, then look no further! It is much more rewarding, enjoyable, and cheaper to do it On Your Own, or, in other words, “Do it as the locals do.”

To do the sacred valley on your own means that you’ll depend on public transportation i.e. collectivos, tok toks, and hitchhiking. What is great about doing it on your own is that you’ll get the chance to meet the true locals, interact with them, listen to their stories (assuming you speak basic Spanish, of course:), and understand how it is like to call such a beautiful place…home!

However, from Cusco, there is a dedicated collective stop for every town in the Sacred Valley, so you’ll have to get your map (click to request info) and go to the right one, or you’ll end up somewhere else.

Not only does the sacred valley include amazing towns and ruins, it also offers the adventurer traveler great hiking opportunities to some of the off-the-beaten-path destinations. Hence, I’ll do separate blog posts for visiting the towns & ruins and for the hikes in the area.

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