Urubamba, about 80km from Cusco via Pisac or around 60km via Chinchero,
is
only a short way down the main road from Yucay's
Plaza Manco II, and here the Río Vilcanota becomes the
Río Urubamba (though many people still refer to this
stretch as the Vilcanota). Although it has little in the way
of obvious
historic interest, the town is well endowed with tourist facilities
and is situated in the shadow of the beautiful Chicon and Pumahuanca
glaciers.
The attractive Plaza de Armas is laid back and attractive,
with palm trees and a couple of pines sourounded by interesting
topiary. At the heart of the plaza is a small fountain topped
by a maize corn, but it is dominated by the red sandstone
Iglesia San Pedro with its stacked columns below two small
belfries;
the cool interior has a vast three-tier gold-leaf altar piece,
and at midday, light streams through the glass-topped cupola.
At weekends there's a large market on Jirón Palacio,
which serves the local villages; and at the large ceramic
workshops set around a lovely garden at Avenida Berriozabal
111, new
and ancient techniques are used to produce colourful, Amerindian
inspired pots, household items and artistic pieces that you
can buy from the shop on site.
Because of its good facilities and position, Urubamba makes
an ideal base from which to explore the mountains and lower
hills around the Sacred Valley, which are filled with sites.
The eastern side of the valley is formed by the Cordillera
Urubamba, a range of snowcapped peaks dominated by the summits
of Chicon and Veronica. Many of the ravines can be hiked,
and on the trek up from the town you'll have stupendous views
of
Chicon. Moray , a stunning Inca site, part agricultural centre
part ceremonial, lies about 6km north of Maras village on
the Chinchero side of the river, within a two- to three-hour
walk
from Urubamba. The ruins, are deep, bowl-like depressions
in the earth, the largest comprising seven concentric circular
stone terraces, facing inward and diminishing in radius like
a multilayered roulette wheel. Hostels in Urubamba |
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