We left Cusco to explore more ruins in the city of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was once a royal estate of the Inca empire and now is the spot most travelers converge to start the 3-night/4-day hike to Machu Picchu. We enjoyed our peaceful stay here, everyone was kind and accommodating, and there is plenty of beauty surrounding the city.
How We Got Around
We left our hotel in Cusco around 11AM and headed to the bus terminal. We took a collectivo to Ollantaytambo – basically, a 15 passenger van that waits until its full and will then head to the destination. We got lucky and arrived at a van almost full, so didn’t have to wait long. Plus, we only paid S/10 each – a tenth the price of taking a taxi (and more of an adventure). Steve chatted with a local man who was wondering why we were on the collectivo and not part of a tour. He agreed that it was the much cheaper/better way to travel. He made sure we knew where we were and how far we had to go and was generally quite nice. It was a 90-minute drive, with a few stops in a town in between to drop off some passengers before we arrived safely in Ollantaytambo.
In Ollantaytambo, people get around by walking or taxi. The city is tiny so it’s easy to get around. We took a day and ventured out of the city, so we took a taxi and walked back. A popular style of taxi due to the narrow streets are those small enclosed moto-trike taxis. We decided we took our chances on the collective and weren’t going to try our luck in one of those. Also, there are “buses” which are just vans that go around the city and the villages nearby – we have no idea how often they come or the system behind them. Throughout our stay, we saw locals hold red bags tied to a stick, and a bus would stop.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at a B&B with a killer view. One thing about our hotel was that it was a half mile away from the town center and about a mile away from the train. When picking the hotel, we chose a place away from the train station on purpose – and that was fantastic. We never woke up due to a train. However, it was annoying that for every meal we had to walk into town. A half mile doesn’t seem so bad, but there are no street lights, and it is cobblestone. We were delighted to see about a dozen dogs throughout our street, and got into the habit of naming them. One in particular was camera shy – he was a black lab with white feet, naturally we called him “Socks”.
Our Favorite Eats
We didn’t really fall in love with any restaurant, but something I should note – we tried Alpaca! Steve ordered a plate of meat that included it, so I had a bite. It tastes similar to lamb and beef, so I didn’t care for it. Steve liked it.
What We Did
Ollantaytambo Ruins – Originally built for religious reasons, it soon became a fortress, and a stronghold for the Inca empire against the Spanish forces, for a brief period of time. Steve and I spent a few hours climbing the stairs, exploring the fort and enjoying the scenery.
Pinkuylluna Ruins – The ruins are old storehouses, where the Inca empire stored food, believed it was built high in the mountain to keep it cool and to avoid easily getting into enemy hands. The hike was about 30 minutes, but we didn’t go all the way up as it was late in the day. Finding the start of the hike was interesting, as we navigated through small cobblestone roads to find the entrance. The hike is steep, not well maintained, and hard on the knees, but we were treated to some really significant views of the town and of the ruins.
Patacancha Valley – We decided to do a long day of hiking, and had a taxi drive us to the heart of Patacancha Valley, the town of Patacancha, and hiked back to our hotel. In total, the hike was about 12 miles, mostly downhill. We stopped at several places along the way: farms, ruins, and visiting with people. Everyone we came across on our journey was kind and warm. During our hike it started to rain, so we picked up the pace and were choosier on where to stop for photos. There were more ruins we could’ve hiked to, but with the weather, decided it was best to get back to the hotel.
What’s Next
Machu Picchu
I see the altitude a problem with you, especially on the long hikes?
Should read “is the altitude….”