Písac (Pisaq)

You are now here: The Sacred Valley / Písac

Take a trip all the way up to Písac!

Looking down into the valley of the Vilcanota River from Písac is spectacular. The site has a strategic location and the ruins are quite well preserved.

Písac is believed to have had quadruple significance: administrative, political, military and religious.

Below, in the valley, there's a town with the same name, where the locals live mostly out of agriculture using the ancient terraces nearby.

Getting there

The site is just 18 km from Cuzco (Cusco) in straight line, but if you go on the road, it'll be around 35 km.

Since most tourists head towards Machu Picchu, you will see fewer groups around Písac.

Some tour operators organize mountain biking trips to Písac from Cuzco, but you should be well prepared and experienced for the trip. There are many high slopes to climb and there's also the altitude problem. If you go two way (there and back), doing 70 km in total would exhaust you, even if you're experienced. If not, even the first 10 km could make you break down.

This town is best reached from Cuzco, but some take the longer, more difficult road with most attractions: the road from the Ollantaytambo direction, across the towns of Urubamba, Yucay, Calca.

Písac's history and its parts

Within the Intihuatana part, you'll find temples and baths, among them the Temple if the Sun, which holds the Intihuatana.

Q'allaqasa is also called "the citadel", which has a beautiful view above the valley below, where the town Písac is.

Specialists consider Písac a multiple purpose construction. It is all military, religious and agricultural. It is believed that Písac was a fortification that defended the southern entrance into the Sacred Valley (where Cuzco, the capital is).

The word "Písac" comes from the word "Písaca" meaning partridge, a bird that's often seen flying in the area, especially at dusk. Also interesting is the fact that the narrow agricultural terraces are built in a way to resemble the wings of this bird.

What to see within Písac

Just like the citadel of Machu Picchu, Písac also has an Intihuatana stone, somewhat similar to the ancient European sun clocks.

Unfortunately the Písac Intihuatana was brutalized, broken by the Spanish invaders. This happened to all these stones except the Machu Picchu Intihuatana, which the conquistadores never found.

Another part of it, the "Temple of the Sun" was also brutalized, this time by tourists who broke parts of it an took them home. Therefore, the building is now closed and it's only possible to see from outside.

Pisaqa, Intihuatana, Q'allaqasa, and Kinchiracay are the 4 parts of Písac (names are in Quechuan).

The walls of Písac are built up like puzzles, as you will see in the case of other Inca sites. Here too, the blocks perfectly fit together, creating solid walls. Interestingly, not all walls are the same quality, some rocks are fine-polished , while others are rougher. Perhaps, the higher-class Incas used the structures with the smoother walls.

At Písac, you will notice construction techniques that you won't see elsewhere. For example: some bricks are stone bricks, others are made out of hardened mud.

Within Písac, you will see houses, courtyards, steep steps, aqueducts, of course and interestingly, tunnels too. From the architectural point of view, it is complex, variated, a beautiful creation of the Incas.

On the higher levels of Písac, there are several buildings probably used to deposit food and livestock.

Certainly, there are wide areas on the mountain sides, covered with agricultural terraces, which are still used today.

There's also a cemetery with over 3.000 burial places. Some graves were made for single persons, others are multipersonal. But the cemetery has been destroyed, graves opened, perhaps looted by the Spaniards in search for gold.

If one walks higher, to the parts above 4.200 m, will see engraved and painted images of animals (llamas and alpacas) within some buildings. The Llamas were used to carry loads of up to 50 pounds and the alpacas were kept for their fine fur and meat.

If you love to take photographs, when visiting the archeological site, you will notice the spectacular view around it, the surrounding mountains, the colourful valley below, where the town lies.

We recommend you to visit Písac either on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday because that's when the locals hold their weekly market at the town of Písac, which is just down in the valley, below the ruins.

Of course, everyone goes to Písac at the time of the market, so you should expect crowds.

The market is a good place to look for souvenirs, but keep in mind that many of them are not as traditional as many naive tourists believe.

Kitschy items, exaggeratedly coloured and overornamented objects don't always reflect traditional Inca style, but are rather modern creations made only to capture the attention of western tourists.

There is a large tree belonging to the Pisonay species, which is in the main plaza of the town.

Huanca's sanctuary, where there's a sacred shrine is also close to the town. This shrine is frequented by pilgrims every year in September.