After a mediocre night's sleep at Mountain View Experience (more context in my previous post), we hit the road headed to Cusco. But of course there were some stops to check out along the way. First was Salineras de Maras (aka, Maras Salt Mines).
If you have an interest in engineering ingenuity you could spend some time learning about the site and marveling at how it has existed and evolved for centuries, pre-dating the Incas. There is a handy set of signs illustrating the process, history, and even the origin story legend of the site (en español), which you can snap pics of to help you remember.
What is pretty amazing about it is the process is still traditional, apparently not too different than what they were doing 400-500 years ago. I snapped a couple of pics, bought a couple packets of salt (which we haven't tried yet, so I can't report on the flavor), and then we headed out.
If you want to learn more about the salt mines there are plenty of articles and videos online. I found this one, for what it's worth. It's on the 'tentative list' of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Our next stop was Moray. Snapped a couple of scenery shots en route. As a city boy I always like a good animals-crossing-the-street pic.
When you reach Moray, the first thing you notice is that it is a visually stunning location, like most of the Inca sites you'll visit in the valley.
Of course there is more to it. I learned that its location and design enabled the Incas to experiment with agricultural techniques that were then applied throughout the valley. The site apparently has numerous microclimates with varying altitudes, temperatures, degrees of exposure to sunlight, etc. Clever. But a bit beyond my intellect, so I won't try to explain it. I'll just share a couple more pics.
From there we headed to Cusco. (Original plan was to also stop through Chinchero, but my colleague was feeling ill effects of the altitude, so we decided it was best to get her to the hotel where she could rest and adjust.)
I snapped a few more scenery shots on the way. From my first visit to Peru in 2006 I rememembered seeing some modest situations out the train window on the way to Machu Picchu. But I did not remember the outskirts of Cusco looking and feeling quite as grim as they appeared during this drive.
I probably should have expected it, though. In the last 20 years I have traveled quite a bit more through LatAm and of course Mexico since then, so these scenes were very similar to what I've become familiar with. But my memories from that Peru trip were all beautiful scenes from Machu Picchu and the coastal views in Lima. Funny how memory works sometimes.
Anyway, after we dropped my colleague off at the hotel the driver and I did a loop of the most significant sites around Cusco: Saqsaywayman, Q'enco, Tambomachay, and Puka Pukara.
Saqsaywaman is the largest and most significant, so if you're thinking of prioritizing your time and can only see one of the four, then this is the easy and right choice. I got a nice overview from my driver / guide before heading in to explore the site. I am also sure it would be worthwhile to have a licensed guide escort you through the site to pick up more detail and context. I spent 30-40 minutes walking around, taking pictures of the site and of the views it provides of the city itself. But I can easily see spending an hour to 90 minutes there if you want to fully take it in.
Q'uenco was noteworthy as a location where sacrifices (including humans) to the gods were made. It doesn't take much time to walk through the site, and you're not encouraged to linger. I suppose during high season there can be more people working their way through a small place. And probably some jokers trying to enact some inappropriate scenes on the sacrificial altar. I grabbed a quick pic moving through the cave and then turned my focus to more views of the city.
To me, this was the least interesting stop of the four. I get that again it is evidence of some amazing engineering and I appreciate the value and symbolism of water in Incan culture. But if you're prioritizing finite time in the area, not sure you need to stop and pass through here. It's a few minutes walking up a slight incline, past some informal souvenir vendors, then wait to take a pic of the fountain. I only had to wait for one dude (and to be fair, it's one of my low key favorite pictures from Cusco), but during high season I imagine there is a line of people wanting to get their shot with the fountain.
Finally, we made our way to Puka Pukara, which served as a security checkpoint between Cusco and the rest of the valley.
To me this was the second most interesting of the 4 stops we made.
But again, if you have limited time or just other things you wish to see and do around Cusco, I think you can focus on seeing Saqsaywaman more completely and then save yourself the time of seeing the other three. I did them quite quickly, in about an hour. Most tours would probably allocate even more time, maybe 1.5 - 2 hours to seeing those three. If I were planning my own vacation, given my level of interest in all the Inca sites, I'd spend 60-90 minutes at Saqsaywaman and feel okay skipping the rest. Conversely, if you have the time and interest, it certainly makes sense to visit the group of four, as they all offer something distinct. And your ticket to see Saqsaywaman also includes entrance to the other three.
After starting our morning with a visit to the archeological site in Ollantaytambo, we spent the rest of the day traveling around the Sacred Valley getting a feel for some of its top resort properties. Unfortunately my phone glitched for a chunk of the time so I don't have anything to show from a few of our stops.
For example, our first visit was El Albergue, which is an inviting, smaller property with a cool story and some unique and interesting experiences for their guests. If you're looking for a balance of comfort, history, and engaging with nature while being just a few minutes from the center of Ollantaytambo, El Albergue is your place.
We also stopped at Las Qolqas EcoResort, which was like a wonderful 'glamping' kind of sanctuary that happens to offer some very sophisticated food and drink options on site. If you're up for something special and unique at a price that's a touch more accessible that some of the other resorts, Las Qolqas would be cool for 1-2 nights.
The third place that I was unable to capture was Rio Sagrado, A Belmond Hotel. Beautiful and classy, as you would expect. If you're looking to dial up a few days of upscale tranquility and top notch service, I doubt you'd be disappointed at this Belmond property.
By the time we got to Sol y Luna my phone was back online and I snapped a few pictures of their beautiful setting.
We got caught in a passing rain storm, so we wound up taking lunch there, right on time for the horse show/demonstration.
No pic of the lunch, but in a land that makes delicious lemonade, this 'frutas rojas' version was top 3 during my trip.
One thing you can't help but notice as you're moving between the resorts in the Sacred Valley is that the surrounding area appears a little scruffy by comparison. Does seem like some fairly extreme economic disparity between those who stay at the resorts and those who live around the resorts. The landscape alternates between beautiful, agricultural scenes with mountain backdrops and innumerable incomplete buildings, dirt roads, and stray dogs. It's a little weird.
Maybe less pronounced if you're just staying at one resort and then spending the day sightseeing and hiking around the region. But when your day is spent touring five or six 5-star resorts back-to-back-to-back the juxtaposition really jumps out at you.
And very nicely appointed, too, from the common areas through the rooms and cabins. For a few days of rustic mountain luxury, the Inkaterra is the choice.
(I always like a good vintage / rustic statement bench)
My second favorite was Explora Sacred Valley. Design aesthetic was more sleek. The company is distinctly South American but the vibes felt a bit Nordic, too. The rooms were sharp.
Common areas felt sophisticated but friendly and accessible. If you seek a more active experience in the Sacred Valley, and maybe a more social atmosphere, then Explora would fit that bill.
To wrap the day we headed to Mountain View Experience, which is an interesting concept, I'll grant that. I can see its appeal when you tick off what it offers. Astonishing views. Surrounded by packs of llamas and alpacas. Remote and beautiful. And after having stayed there overnight I can say it would make a great place to visit. Could have done without the overnight stay.
We arrived maybe 30 minutes before sunset (which comes early-ish, like 6pm). And we spent a good chunk of that small window navigating a reservation snafu. While my colleague focused on that I took a few pictures of the scenery, which is undeniably spectacular.
The 'cabins' are very simple structures for the most part, though I understand they do have a few larger upgrade options. This one was mine (photo taken the following morning):
Cute, right? Alpaca out front (awwww!). Then you pop inside and this is what you've got.
Very small. No heat. And no wifi. The A-frame design means you can barely stand up and walk from the entry past the bed to the bathroom. And I'm not tall, not even by Andean standards. Anyone of average height would find this pretty uncomfortable. Having multiple people stay in the same cabin seems like it would be impossible. The A-frame design of course applies in the bathroom as well, so while you're standing over the toilet you can either press your forehead into the pine or you can lean back at a 20-30 degree angle. Good times.
Resigned to the situation we had nothing else to do for the evening besides have an early dinner (restaurant/bar closes at 8pm) before bundling up and sleeping through the night. I did enjoy my meal and a craft stout. I *think* I ordered a tofu curry with platano. Ate better than it looks.
When you wake up in the morning you are treated to the views of alpacas roaming the grounds. And the guy who shepherds them around the grounds is treated to views of the guests sleeping in their cabins, as most do not have any curtains. So there is that, too.
Net, if you see pictures on Instagram or TikTok or whatever, your first reaction might be 'how cool!', but I'm telling you, the reality on the ground is different. There are a lot of places to see llamas and alpacas in Peru. You don't need to put yourself through this kind of discomfort to see them. My recommendation is to swing through here for lunch before or after visiting some of the nearby sites like Moray or Chinchero. Take in the scenery, take pics with the alpacas, and take your overnight reservation somewhere else to you can get a good night's sleep.
