Inti Punku

One day hike to Inti Punku

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This walk is a strenuous one day hike that first goes up to the rock quarries, (‘las canterras’ in Spanish) where the Incas mined and shaped the massive stones that make up the Ollantaytambo fortress.  This hike begins the same as our trek to the Quarries, but after visitng that site it then continues on to Inti Punku, which is another 2 hours each way higher up the mountain than the Quarries.

 

We leave directly from Ollantaytambo and go down to the Urubamba river and cross the bridge over into Cachiccata. The route turns into a narrow trail that goes steeply up the mountain side. This area is rich with archeological discoveries, several of them hidden but we know where they are ! Incan mummies, a little-known Incan carved wheel, and a lot of Incan ruins where the workers lived are the highlights of this walk. This hike also has great views of the sacred mountain Veronica and of Ollantaytambo. This walk requires a moderate to moderate-high amount of fitness, but those not up for hiking can still accompany the group by using a horse for the ascent, ask us for details.
After our visit to the Quarries we will then walk up another two hours to the site of Inti Punku, which is one of our favorites in all of Peru. It has amazing views of the surrounding mountains, Ollantaytambo, the sacred Incan mountain (“apu”) of Veronica, and the valley below Abra Malaga. After visiting this sacred place, we will walk back down to Ollantaytambo the way we came. This is a chance to see a very important Incan site that few travelers take the time to see !

Checking out the Inca stone workshop

 

Includes a knowledgeable guide who can point out the many unique sites of interest along the way. English may not be spoken so please let us know if that is a requirement, a small additional extra charge may apply. Time required is approximately 6 to 8 hours and the cost is $89 per person, with a minimum of two people.

 

 

 

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