Huacatay
Cuisine: South American, French
This restaurant is the best in the Sacred Valley. Chef Pio prepares great Novoandina food and also gives cooking classes via the Kuychi Rumi hotel.
This village is built on the historic remains of the ancient "Hacienda" of Tupac Inca Yupanqui. The hillside surrounding Chinchero was transformed into a group of terraces lined by typical Incan stone walls. Large rooms were built above the terraces and were used for administrative and religious functions. Today, you will find colonial bell towers that have been built over the Incan ruins. The colorful Sunday market in Chinchero is where the communities of the region exchange their agricultural products and handicrafts.
Moray
Type: Museum/Educational
The site of Moray is an excellent example of Andean technological development during the Incan period. The circular terraces we know today were once an Incan agricultural investigation center, where they experimented with crops at different altitude levels. The complicated terraces and irrigation systems, and environmental temperature and frost control, permitted the Incas to cultivate more that 250 varieties of vegetables at this site.
The Incas drew inspiration from nature and hence the historic town of Pisac came to be named after a partridge. Now considered a prime archaeological find, the Intihuatana or the Sun Temple and the caves(the largest pre-Columbian cemetery), nestled by eucalyptus trees on the clay slopes are indeed a breathtaking sight(given the altitude, no pun intended). You can either rough it out or take a guided tour, but be prepared for as many tourists as villagers, if you choose to go on a Sunday. Don't let that stop you from adding color to the local fair, though. Admission is included in the "Tourist Ticket."
Písac
Type: Historic/Landmark
About an hour by car from Cusco, Pisaqa (in Quechua "small bird") is located at the top of the Vilcanota mountain range. Its polished terraces, systems of irrigation and astronomical observatory make it one of the most important historic locations in the region. Its traditional artisan market is also famous, and during the day of the fair, the varayoq (mayors) do a dance to assist the traditional mass in Quechua.
About one- and a-half hours by car from Cusco, this Inca town has maintained the integrity of its design. Next to the plaza Hanan Huacaypata, there are 15 blocks with large houses built upon Inca fields of wrought stone. Within the skirt of the mountain that dominates the town, you'll find the buildings of the Temple of the Sun, the Incahuatana and the "Baths de la Nusta." The locals guide the "Ancestral Routes" and will show you a living Inca city where one can appreciate the knowledge of the hydraulics and agronomy of both old and present inhabitants. There are also restaurants, hotels, horseback riding back and mountain biking opportunities. Admission is included in the "Tourist Ticket."
Flanking the Urubamba River, the Sacred Valley of the Incas stretches from Pisac to Ollantaytambo. The approximately 26 mile long valley was once the domain of the Incas for the abundance of corn and natural wealth it yielded. There are plenty of archaeological ruins scattered along the length and breadth of the valley, each guarding their precious secrets. In the ruins of Pisac, farmers still cultivate the terraces, seemingly knowing that all was one, and one is all. It's well worth arranging an organized tour of the valley. You'll run into far fewer tourists than at Machu Picchu.
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