The Sacred Valley of the Incas

You are now here: The Sacred Valley / The Sacred Valley of the Incas

A surreal valley in the Andes  

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is located in the Andes Mountains of Southeastern Peru. The Spanish name is "Valle Sagrado de Los Incas".

Under Sacred Valley, we understand the region that runs partly in the Urubamba Valley along with the Vilcanota/Urubamba River, stretching from Ollantaytambo to Huanca (just a little further than Písac). Of course, there are no well defined limits, frontiers as to what is exactly in and out of it.

The Sacred Valley (or Valle Sagrado in Spanish) includes places like Písac, Ollantaytambo, the Moray terraces, Yucay, Calca.

Cuzco city is 15 km far from the Vilcanota River's bank, a little bit higher on a plateau, southwards, so it is not in the Sacred Valley.

In fact, the Sacred Valley is wider than the area around the Vilcanota river, but is shorter than the Urubamba Valley, where the river runs northwards to Machu Picchu.

And, contrary to what laics think, Machu Picchu is not even near the Sacred Valley, it is dozens of kilometers away, northwest.

The Sacred Valley's region has fertile lands, therefore the Incas have created agricultural terraces (in Spanish they're called "andinas"), built into the sides of hills and high mountains. The step-like terraces cover much of the region, offering splendid colourful views for the visitors.

The river Urubamba (also known as Wilcamayu or Vilcanota, meaning Sacred River) is the main source of life in this beautiful place. Fields that are located on the flat lands down inside the valleys are often irrigated with water from it.

The terraces are, however not watered from this river, but from smaller ones that run between mountains, which are high enough to flow directly into the aqueducts.

The Sacred Valley is a colourful place with high mountains and scattered Inca ruins, for those who have the physical strength, it's a dreamlike experience to hike or bike here. Lots of foreign hikers go on organized trips through the Inca trail, sleep along the road in tents and enjoy the beauty of nature.

The Incas have set their most important cities and forts in this part of today's Peru, due to the geographic and climatic advantages. Many cities built here have strategic locations, are placed on high hills, mountains, where they are easily defendable.

The Sacred Valley has served as a buffer zone, protecting the capital of the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyo) from incoming threats, such as the Antis, the wild jungle tribes who often raided the region. The enemies could not reach the capital because they were stopped in time far enough.

If you'd like to trek through this valley, you'd better get prepared for the hard conditions. It might seem simple, but due to the high altitudes, many naive tourists suffer of related sicknesses. It's advised to go on organized trips, with tour guides, in no case alone. Good health, travel insurance and staying for several weeks to get used to the conditions are equally necessary.