Sacred Valley

The Quechua zone is the starting point for all our explorations in the Sacred Valley. Following the winding course of the Urubamba River, this area showcases Inca architecture at its best, enclosing some of Peru’s most important archaeological landmarks, from Pisac to Macchu Picchu. As we ascend progressively through cornfields, orchards and small villages bustling with life, we reach some of the most enigmatic and remote archaeological sites of the valley, as is Pumamarca, a hillside fortress that once guarded the entrance to the valley’s fertile lands.

With the valley at its feet, Suni is a transition zone between the Quechua and Puna zones. Within, some of the area’s most memorable panoramic views can be found from winding paths perched high on deep gorges plunging into the green abyss below. This zone showcases the valley’s verticality – a pivotal component around which the Incas developed their particular cosmovision. Technological development and communal work structures can be evidenced in the extremely well-preserved ruins of the Moray experimental crop center and the Salineras de Maras, as well as the precision and craftsmanship of Tipon’s fluvial canals, which remain active to this day.

Abruptly rising from the ground beneath your feet, mountains define almost every aspect of the Sacred Valley’s identity. As they grow in height the sheer power of altitude, combined with the cold from the perpetual glaciers perched high on their rugged shoulders, are proof of how living conditions become harsher the further from the ground you dare to go. Explorations in the area of the Puna take travelers through narrow shepherd mountain trails and chromatic progressions of green, brown and white. This highly dynamic zone is a feast to the eyes that varies significantly depending on the seasons and harvesting times.

Towering titans that reach into the clouds above, defying altitude and gravity in order to provide a vital experience of heaven on Earth for all who venture their slopes. Janca is the highest part of the Peruvian Andes. Its inaccessibility simultaneously defines its essence and beauty. Due to the zone’s extreme altitude, life acquires a calmer pace; human settlements are scarce and dedicated mainly to high mountain mining. Reaching the Janca zone requires special acclimatization due to the area’s extremely low temperatures and lack of oxygen. Likewise, this zone is mostly steep terrain, which requires technical knowledge and experience.