Ollantaytambo is one of the few Sacred Valley towns still laid out on its original Inca grid — the stone channels in the pre-Hispanic streets still run water. Peruways’ guided days through the valley use it as a base for the fortress above the town and the ride down the Urubamba to Machu Picchu.
The fortress is the main site. Pachacuti built its enormous terraces and the unfinished Sun Temple on the upper platform; the quarry across the valley is where the stones were dragged from. In 1537 Manco Inca’s forces beat the Spanish here before withdrawing to Vilcabamba — one of the few Inca victories against Pizarro’s expedition.
Beyond the fortress, the town itself repays a walk. The colonial houses are built on Inca foundations; the market in the plaza carries textiles from the Patacancha valley at better prices than Cusco; and Pinkuylluna, the storehouse ruins on the opposite cliff, is a quiet climb if you want the view back down over the grid.
Ollantaytambo also makes a better acclimatisation stop than Cusco. At 2,792 metres it sits 600 metres lower, which eases the first days at altitude.
Book your Sacred Valley day — Ollantaytambo included — through Peruways.
