Pisaq
The green valleys that circle Pisaq
The region of Cuzco and Machu Picchu is known as the Sacred Valley because of the lush and fertile lands fed by the Urubamba River. Throughout the valley, the Inca built settlements and some believe more land was cultivated during the Inca empire than present day. Pisaq is one of the better preserved sites remaining, and an easy day trip from Cuzco. Our word of advice: do not go with a tour group. We saw plenty of tours when we visited, and they missed out on the best parts of the ruins.
If you’d like to follow our route, we took the public bus from Cuzco to Pisaq. After arriving in town, we caught a taxi straight up the switchbacks to the top of the mountain. Entering the ruins at the towering citadel we had to contend with tour groups, but this is where the tours also left us. From the citadel, the hike down the mountain is stunning, and only independent travelers visited the Intihuatana and its remarkable, religious stonework. With the countless hikes we’ve done in the past year, we both agreed that the hike from the citadel back to town was easily one of the best.
Farming terraces at Pisaq - the citadel rises on the left side
The citadel at Pisaq - note how the buildings naturally follow the contour of the land
A view from one of the settlements in the citadel
Around the corner from the citadel, this gateway signals the path to the Intihuatana
Approaching the Intihuatana - an Inca sun temple
The actual Sun Temple; the nub stone measures the seasons
The Intihuatana from the other side, and the valley dropping down below
The homes of the farmers at Pisaq
A view down one of the farming terraces
Storage silos, built on the cliff where the dry air preserved the crops better
Nearing the end of the hike and Pisaq town
The trail ends right in the handicrafts market
