Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo is the best-preserved Inca town in Peru and one of the most rewarding places to stay in the whole region. It sits at the western end of the Sacred Valley, where the Patakancha stream meets the Urubamba, and its center is still laid out on the original Inca grid, with narrow cobbled streets, stone water channels running beside them and blocks of houses built around shared courtyards, some lived in by the same families for generations. Above the town rises the great archaeological complex, a royal estate built under Pachacutec that served military, agricultural and religious roles. A long staircase climbs through steep terraces to the ceremonial sector, where the unfinished Temple of the Sun is marked by six enormous monoliths of pink rhyolite, fitted together with thin stone inserts, quarried on the mountainside across the river and hauled up by means that still puzzle engineers. In 1536, during the Inca resistance, Manco Inca defeated a Spanish cavalry force here by flooding the plain below, one of the few Inca victories of the conquest. Across the valley, on the slopes of Pinkuylluna mountain, a free trail climbs to Inca storehouses with the best view of the fortress and the town, and the face of the god Wiracocha is said to be visible in the rock formations. The archaeological park covers a large area and is included in the Boleto Turistico, full or Sacred Valley partial. Ollantaytambo also has the busiest railway station for Machu Picchu, with PeruRail and Inca Rail departures throughout the day, which makes it the natural place to spend the night before or after the citadel.

How to visit: go to the fortress at opening time, before the tour buses arrive from Cusco in the late morning, or in the last hours of the afternoon; allow ninety minutes to two hours, climbing slowly. A guide at the entrance can explain the stonework, the water systems and the story of the battle. In the afternoon, walk the old town, the Plaza de Armas and the Inca baths of the Princess, and climb the Pinkuylluna trail, which is steep and narrow in places and takes about an hour return. The town has a good choice of small hotels, cafes and restaurants serving Andean and international food, and a lively feel in the evenings as Machu Picchu travelers come and go.

Using Ollantaytambo for Machu Picchu: the station is a ten-minute walk from the plaza, and trains to Aguas Calientes take roughly an hour and a half. Staying in town lets you take a morning train without a pre-dawn transfer from Cusco, and on the way back you can return to Cusco by road the same evening or spend another night. Note that the narrow road between the plaza and the station gets congested around train times, so allow plenty of time. From January to April, PeruRail's Cusco departures run as bus-plus-train services with transfers at Ollantaytambo or Pachar.

Practical notes: Ollantaytambo is at about 2,800 meters, lower than Cusco, which makes it a comfortable base for acclimatization. Bring cash in soles, as many smaller places do not accept cards. In the rainy season, which begins in November, the fortress steps can be slippery and afternoon showers are frequent, so plan the climb in the morning. Respect the residents of the old Inca blocks, who live in the houses that visitors photograph.