Ollantaytambo
Saturday, March 2
Not only is Cusco worth a visit, but the surrounding area also offers countless exciting places and archaeological sites that are definitely worth a visit. One of these places is Ollantaytambo, a small village home to impressive Inca ruins.
Ollantaytambo is located about 60 kilometers from Cusco at a slightly lower elevation. Instead of Cusco’s 3,500 meters, Ollantaytambo is “only” at 2,800 meters. Although I have been to Cusco and the village of Ollantaytambo several times before, I had never taken the time to visit the Inca fortress and its ruins. Many visitors who come to Cusco are so focused on visiting the famous city of Machu Picchu that they overlook other, smaller Inca ruins in the surrounding area. After spending a day at the ruins of Ollantaytambo, we can now say: it's a mistake to skip ruins like Ollantaytambo, Pisac, and Moray!
We arrived in Ollantaytambo by bus in the morning. Wherever you looked, you were surrounded by enormous, verdant mountains. At the foot of the mountains lies the village of Ollantaytambo, and on a steep mountainside is the town's Inca fortress. The Incas built countless rows of narrow, stone-paved terraces into the steep slope. At the top of the mountain, there are also several massive stone walls and small buildings. Both are made of huge, rounded boulders that the Incas had shaped so that, despite their different sizes and shapes, they fit perfectly together, requiring no mortar. Although we had already admired these types of walls in Cusco, it was once again incredible to see how stable, solid, and special these walls were!
We followed our guide's tour of the site. It was great to be able to move around the ruins freely. We were allowed to climb the terraces and stairs, enjoying wonderful views of the surrounding Andean landscape. The ruins of the Inca city in Ollantaytambo are so well preserved that you can learn a lot about urban city planning during Inca times. Anyone visiting Ollantaytambo should definitely book a guided tour so you can fully understand what is in front of you and what the Incas achieved. We would definitely recommend the Ollantaytambo archaeological site, as it may be smaller, but almost as fascinating as Machu Picchu.
