Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The Sacred Valley: Ollaytantabo


The Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo was our next destination after we dodged the landslides on our train ride from Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo is a small Incan city of roughly 12,000 people in the sacred valley next to the Urubamba River.  It was the perfect city to explore due to its well-preserved culture and proximity to many hikes. The ancient city is known for its Incan architecture, cobble stoned streets, and open drainage system. It is considered one of the living Inca cities because residents still maintain traditional ways of life that have been passed down for centuries.

The city has historical significance in that it was a stronghold against the Spanish Invasion. Due to the defeat of the Spanish in Ollantaytambo and the isolation of Machu Picchu, the Spanish never found the Lost City of the Incas. Stepping out of our hotel at the city center, we went on three amazing hikes to: the Granaries, the Sun Gate, and the Fortress.

*****

Hike 1: The Granaries



The Granaries can be seen anywhere from the city as it is perched high on a cliff. Our kids were excited to hike up to the mysterious structure hanging off over the city.

The trail is well marked and is straight up the mountain. Although it’s a short hike, it can be challenging with the altitude. The granaries were used by the Incas to store grains, corn, potatoes, etc. Its unusual location was effective to keep away rodents and the weather. The kids went straight up and started exploring right away. The slight drizzle made the walk more interesting. It was a nice morning hike with a rewarding panoramic view of the valley.


*****


Sunrise Start

Hike 2: Inti Punku/Sun Gate

Our big hike from Ollantaytambo was the 10-mile round-trip hike up to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. The Sun Gate sits on top of a mountain at 12,700 ft and serves as the main entrance to Machu Picchu (four days trek away).

When we told our kids we were going on a 10-mile hike to 12,700 ft, they said, “Piece of cake!”. Our little rock stars have walked hundreds of miles in the past year and have hiked up to 16,300 ft. We love how strong and confident they have become outdoors.



Anticipating that this walk would take us 6-8 hours, we began at 6am. We came prepared with food, water, and all the layers for every weather conditions. As the sun rose and as we began our ascent, we warmed up quickly and started shedding layers. The trail was lined with beautiful wildflowers, and we had fantastic views of the river valley below.

This hike has an elevation gain of 4,000 feet from the river.  Along the way we passed the stone quarries where the Incans shaped the massive stones for the fortress in Ollantaytambo.



Resting Rock

The kids took as many breaks as they needed and rested on giant stones that were discarded long ago, on their way to build the fortress in the city . They laid on the boulders like lizards soaking up the sun. We let them rest but we had to make sure we kept moving forward and upward.

The elevation gain was challenging so I lead and kept a slow and steady pace. More than halfway through, we could see the Sun Gate ahead. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is not helpful to see how much you have left to go. We had been climbing for almost four hours.



So close...

Cruz got a little impatient. I told him to imagine himself on top and finally seeing the great view. He said, “I’m imagining my self at the top and enjoying my lunch”! We cracked up as we watched him practically run the last half mile or so.

For the last two hours of the ascent, we could see the Sun Gate in the distance. It was so close yet so far, we all felt the four-thousand elevation gain and were relieved to finally reach the gate.

The Sun Gate is a simple yet imposing structure on top of a mountain. In the morning (and especially during the solstice) the sun’s rays passes through the stone door. It was a religious site and an astronomical observatory, a gateway between the living and the spiritual. We stood alone on top of the mountain, completely exposed to the elements. As we took in the 360 panoramic views of the Andes, we felt the incredible energy of this site.



The Beautiful Andes!

We took a well-deserved hour lunch to rest and enjoy the view.  We could see Ollantaytambo five miles away, the Urubamba river below, and the impressive peak of Mt. Veronica at 19,226 ft. It was starting to get chilly so we decided to head down and practically ran down the mountain. Descents are always fun, but you still must be careful. What took us four hours to climb, we hustled down in two hours.

This hike was one of our favorites on our entire trip. Surprisingly, we only saw a few groups the entire day. This hike had it all: no crowds, killer views, challenging altitude gain of 4,000ft, a great day hike at 10 miles, and cultural significance.

 

Hike 3: Ollantaytambo Fortress




Our final hike was to explore the Fortress that was at the edge of the city. The fortress was a religious site turned into a military post during the Spanish invasion. The fortress was built with the huge boulders from the quarries (4 miles away) that we passed on our hike up to the Sun Gate.

The terraces are massive with over 200 steps that take you to the Sun Gate and temple. The kids were surprised to hear that there was a Sun Gate right in the middle of town after we hiked over 10 miles to the other sun gate a couple of days before! Yes kiddos, there are multiple sun gates in the sacred valley.



The most impressive structure was Temple Hill. The Temple del Sol consists of six huge rectangular stones, with each stone being approximately 13 ft. tall and 6 ft. wide. The rocks found in the complex are perfectly polished and precisely cut.  Somehow, the builders were able to transport these giant stones and placed them perfectly beside and on top of each other. We continued a trail above the site. On top, we could see the granary, the city, the river, the quarry, and the sun gate.




We all loved Ollantaytambo. It felt like we had stepped back in time. From where we were staying in Town Center, we could see all our three hikes.  The locals were friendly, the food was delicious, and the views were fantastic.  Most visitors only see it while passing on their way to Machu Picchu but it deserves at least a couple of days to explore.

Peru easily became one of our favorite destinations on our trip. We’ll never forget hiking up to Rainbow Mountain (16,300ft), our week in Ollantaytambo (and eventually pronouncing the town name correctly),  and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. We also might have developed a slight alpaca obsession. Peru is a beautiful country that is incredibly rich in landscape, history, and culture.





 

 

 

 


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