Urubamba, a place where time seems to stop between the white clouds of the andean sky with its astonished light blue color and the powerful sunlight that reaches every corner of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Everything seems so perfect when you walk beside the meandering Urubamba River bank and you dare to dip your feet in its icy and crystalline waters, everything seems to take on a new meaning and your presence in the land of the Inca is placed in perfect balance with nature.
Visiting Urubamba and the Sacred Valley it's a magical experience that will fulfill your body and soul with new and positive energy. We would like to invite you to take a tour through the history of Urubamba, its people and its charms.
Cusco holds a treasure among its hills and mountains, a treasure that the Incas found and knew how to take care of through time: the fertile Sacred Valley.
The Valley is home to several towns and cities, all prosperous, charming, colorful and friendly. These towns include Pisac, Calca, Yucay, Urubamba, Chinchero and Ollantaytambo, as well as several communities of farmers and weavers along the way.
Urubamba was founded by the Government on June 21th 1825. Shortly after, in 1839, it was granted the title of “Distinguished City of Urubamba", under the administration of the President Agustín Gamarra.
The city is located 42 miles north east from Cusco, at 8530 feet altitude, lower than the Imperial City, which is why Urubamba and the other towns in the Valley are perfect to spend the first days in Cusco and get used to the altitude quick and easy, avoiding discomfort and, as local people call it, “soroche”.
Getting to Urubamba is very easy and usually takes no more than an hour by car.
Urubamba was an important agricultural center during the Inca Empire, supplying food to Cusco’s population. Today it is still an important producer of fruits, vegetables and grains, such as corn, peaches, quince and strawberries, just to name a few.
At Inca Rail we know for sure that every traveler is unique, so this is why we offer several options to really know Urubamba and the other towns of the Valley. Visit our website and find out about the experiences you can live with us.
Urubamba has become a very touristic city that receives visitors from all over the world. It offers traditional accommodations, luxurious hotels and other less conventional lodging options, such as a hanging bedroom 1300 feet above the ground, anchored to the rocks in the mountain. You will have the chance to relax, take a deep breath and soak up the spirit of the Andean people, while you count the stars in Cusco's icy sky.
Spiritual retreats, healthy living and yoga camps are organized for a kind of traveler focused on connecting with nature and their inner being.
One of its strengths is adventure sports such as hiking, canopy, mountain biking or canoeing in the mighty Urubamba River.
You will also find adventure by signing in for hiking, canopy, mountain biking or rafting in the mighty Urubamba River.
If you love to walk, go to Plaza de Armas, where you will see the splendid San Pedro´’s Church, a colonial building with two side towers made of stone. Near the Plaza there 's Pablo Seminario’s workshop, illustrious ceramists from Urubamba. Pay him a visit and learn about his work, and if you want to, you can buy some of his beautiful art pieces and take them with you as a remainder of the best trip of your life.
Another attraction with lots of energy and identity, is the Urubamba Market, a destination right in the heart of the city that you can not miss out on. It is a place that brings together people not only from Urubamba, but also from nearby communities, where men and women offer goods from their own production such as fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, textiles and handicrafts. The market is charming, full of life and color, reflecting the true spirit of the city of Urubamba.
Just a few miles away from Urubamba there’s a magical place known as Maras Salt Mines.
A place right in the middle of the mountain where a very refined type of pink salt is made by artisan techniques. There are more than 3000 salt pools fed by a subterranean salt spring from the snow-capped mountains. The people from the nearby communities maintain the same ancestral techniques that were used by men and women from the ancient Perú to produce the salt. The pools reflect the sunlight, making the mountain shine in a spectacle of unexpected beauty.
About 5 miles from Maras, there’s the botanical laboratory of Moray, a construction of concentric circles made in the earth in the shape of staggered steps, where they explored the different microclimates and the type of foods that could be harvested at different altitudes and temperatures of the lands of the Inca Empire.
Both destinations are magical and can be visited from Urubamba without any inconvenience.
Choose the date that best suits you, visit Sacred Valley: Maras and Moray, and let us take care of the details.
Martín Pío Concha was the last Spanish governor in Cusco, and his house is still in Urubamba. Inside there are archaeological pieces from Machu Picchu. Among those pieces you’ll see metal work, clay, conopas and tools carved on stone and a few human remains.
It is a large architectural complex commonly known as the Palace of the Inca Huayna Capac, the eleventh Inca of the Empire, although it is said that it was actually a “tambo” that served as a checkpoint to control the inhabitants of Cusco and the towns of the Sacred Valley. This construction has towers, large walls, worship areas and rooms for relaxation. To visit the Palace of Huayna Capac is to go back in time and feel that you are part of the Incas’s history.
Besides all of this, Urubamba offers peace and quiet to travelers who will have the chance to get to know its people, its history, customs and traditions. Urubamba is more than a trip, it is an experience connected with nature of the stunish Sacred Valley, the mighty Urubamba River, the spectacular snow-capped mountain Verónica and all the beauty and magic of Cusco.
Get to know Urubamba and all the corners of the Imperial City your way. Enter The Full Experience and choose the date and destination that best suits you. Open your mind and heart and enjoy an unforgettable trip with us, where you will discover that the strength of nature is within you. Let us take care of everything and live the true Inca experience from beginning to end.
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