Sacred Valley of the Incas - Machu Picchu (4D/3N)

The Sacred Valley in the Machu Picchu was undoubtedly a key area of settlement to the Incas. Its agreeable climate and fertile plains make a rare and fruitful combination for the high Andes Peru

The area of the Sacred Valley between Pisac and Ollantaytambo is known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is a long narrow valley which, in the southern region, goes back up to Urcos and towards the north, crossing Ollantaytambo before it finally reaches the citadel of Machu Picchu.

Our non-trekking, "Soft Adventure", is designed to maximize excitement with limited vacation time. In Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire, you will explore lovely cobblestone streets, the impressive Sacsayhuaman Fortress, the mysterious carved rock shrine of Kenko and the delightful Inca Baths at Tambomachay. Later on, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, by the Urubamba River, you'll visit the native market at Pisac and the town ceremonial site of Ollantaytambo, the only Inca village that has been continuously inhabited until our time.

The sanctuary of Machu Picchu is divided into two large sectors - one the agricultural sector and the other the urban or the citadel - of which the first surrounds the second. We could consider the peak Wayna Picchu as a third sector.

Descending the hill next to this site is the Great Central Temple, a three walled building with fine stonework and an attached smaller temple called the "Sacristy". Next to this structure is another three walled building, known as the 'Temple of the Three Windows', so called because of the trapezoidal openings on the east wall. Directly across is the Royal sector, with ample buildings typical of Inca royalty. A very important structure in this section is the "Temple of the Sun", a: circular tower with the best stonework of ancient machupicchu. Its base forms a cavern known as the Royal Tomb. Recent studies show that the actual purpose was for astronomical observance.

Huayna Picchu, young peak, is as much a part of the site as the buildings of the citadel, the towering granite peak overlooks machupicchu to the North with a steep well preserved original Inca path, well worth the one hour climb for an astounding view of the citadel and the entire valley.

Machu Picchu is comprised of approximately 200 buildings, most being residences, although there are temples, storage structures and other public buildings. It has polygonal masonry, characteristic of the late Inca period.

About 1,200 people lived in and around Machu Picchu, most of them women, children, and priests. The buildings are thought to have been planned and built under the supervision of professional Inca architects. Most of the structures are built of granite blocks cut with bronze or stone tools, and smoothed with sand.

The origins of the Incas is unclear; however, there are a few legends and tales that connect the Incas and their legendary founder, the first Manco Inca, with Tampu Tococo. According to the legends, the Incas conquered Cuzco and then the rest of the Inca empire from that point. Tampu Tococo means "window tavern." Windows are not a common feature of Inca architecture but there are an abundance of windows in the dwellings of Machu Picchu and, of course, the intriguing "Temple of the Three Windows." The legends connect just such a temple with the birthplace of Manco I. Bingham felt that Machu Picchu was both Vilcapampa and Tampu Tococo, the first and last capital of the Incas. He believed that it was the place where "the wisdom, skill and best traditions of the ancient folk who had developed the civilization of Peru" had been preserved. No one knows how this great sanctuary had been built which is known today as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

To the southeast of the complex are located the smallest and most humble of the buildings built around very narrow streets, close to numerous terraces constructed for agricultural purposes as denoted by the existence of a very complex aqueduct system in this area. In the lowest part of the terraces is a cemetery, where during a search were discovered 135 skeletons and 109 of them were identified as females. This fact has allowed historians and archeologists to believe that machupicchu's inhabitants were mostly females that could have been the chosen ones of the Inca, fleeing from  Cusco when it was overrun by the Conquerors of Spain and seeking refuge in machupicchu that, by the way, was never discovered by the Spaniards.

The highlight of our trip is the visit to Ancient machupicchu the legendary "Lost City of the Incas", so well hidden by the jungle overgrowth, that it was never found by the "Conquistadores".

Libertador Valle Sagrado Lodge has been recently affiliated to the Libertador Hotels Peru chain and it is situated 12 km from the city of Urubamba in the picturesque community of Yanahuara. Its privileged location turns this Cuzco Hotel into the ideal place to stay and to get acquainted with this beautiful valley of majestic natural landscapes, archaeological sites full of history, culture and wildlife.

Its colonial style typical of Cusco, has been carefully integrated to the surroundings, with large and cozy rooms distributed amid exuberant gardens with a view of the mountains and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Just a few minutes from our Cuzco Hotel, you can visit the typical markets of Pisac or Chincheros, archaeological sites such as Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu or undertake a trekking route to imposing snow-capped mountains and Andean communities.