Explora in the Sacred Valley of the Incas was designed as a headquarter from which to explore a remote and great destination: Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Explora Valle Sagrado is within walking distance of the traditional village of Urquillos, a tiny settlement in which countless traditions are kept alive year-round by a lively and proud local community. It took several years to finalize our exploration routes in the Sacred Valley in order to provide travelers with the less traveled, but most rewarding experiences. The lodge will take guests away from the crowded settings of traditional tourism in the region without missing any of the destination’s most rewarding landscapes and cultural experiences.
Our explorations take travelers through Cusco's colonial history and the Incas' architectural magnificence in Machu Picchu, isolated villages, and archaeological sites such as Ollantaytambo, Moray, Chinchero and Pisac, to Andean pampas and mountains or Apus, considered by locals as guardians of people and nature.
Our explorations in the Sacred Valley have been designed so as to provide travelers with an in depth experience of the Inca civilization’s cradle, allowing them to fully immerse and go deeper into the territory’s countless natural and cultural features.
For this purpose, we have outlined four different exploration zones – each with its own set of unique geographic, cultural and biosphere characteristics.
EXPLORE BY AREA
In order to fully experience the valley’s rich natural and cultural heritage, while witnessing its contrasting landscapes. We recommend you start by exploring the Quechua zone, where our lodge is located, continuing with explorations in the Suni and Puna zones, and finally the Janca zone, which may require acclimatization and specific physical preparation .
QUECHUA
Following the winding course of the Urubamba River, this area showcases Inca architecture at its best, enclosing some of Peru’s most important archaeological landmarks, from Pisac to Macchu Picchu.
The Quechua zone is the starting point for all our explorations in the Sacred Valley. Following the winding course of the Urubamba River, this area showcases Inca architecture at its best, enclosing some of Peru’s most important archaeological landmarks, from Pisac to Macchu Picchu.
As we ascend progressively through cornfields, orchards and small villages bustling with life, we reach some of the most enigmatic and remote archaeological sites of the valley, as is Pumamarca, a hillside fortress that once guarded the entrance to the valley’s fertile lands.
SUNI
This zone showcases the valley’s verticality – a pivotal component around which the Incas developed their particular cosmovision.
With the valley at its feet, Suni is a transition zone between the Quechua and Puna zones. Within, some of the area’s most memorable panoramic views can be found from winding paths perched high on deep gorges plunging into the green
abyss below.
This zone showcases the valley’s verticality – a pivotal component around which the Incas developed their particular cosmovision.
Technological development and communal work structures can be evidenced in the extremely well-preserved ruins of the Moray experimental crop center and the Salineras de Maras, as well as the precision and craftsmanship of Tipon’s fluvial canals, which remain active to this day.
PUNA
This highly dynamic zone is a feast to the eyes that varies significantly depending on the seasons and harvesting times.
Abruptly rising from the ground beneath your feet, mountains define almost every aspect of the Sacred Valley’s identity. As they grow in height the sheer power of altitude, combined with the cold from the perpetual glaciers perched high on their rugged shoulders, are proof of how living conditions become harsher the further from the ground you dare to go.
Explorations in the area of the Puna take travelers through narrow shepherd mountain trails and chromatic progressions of green, brown and white. This highly dynamic zone is a feast to the eyes that varies significantly depending on the seasons and harvesting times.
JANCA
Towering titans that reach into the clouds above, defying altitude and gravity in order to provide a vital experience of heaven on Earth for all who venture their slopes.
Towering titans reach into the clouds above, defying altitude and gravity in order to provide a vital experience of heaven on Earth for all who venture their slopes.
Janca is the highest part of the Peruvian Andes. Its inaccessibility simultaneously defines its essence and beauty. Due to the zone’s extreme altitude, life acquires a calmer pace; human settlements are scarce and dedicated mainly to high mountain mining.
Reaching the Janca zone requires special acclimatization due to the area’s extremely low temperatures and lack of oxygen. Likewise, this zone is mostly steep terrain, which requires technical knowledge and experience.
EXPLORE BY ACTIVITY
HIKE
We hike throughout our locations. Walking at your own, committed pace, immerses you in the natural and cultural landscapes we explore, varying in intensity –beginner or advanced– and duration – half day to full day.
OVERLAND
These are van-led explorations interrupted by short-duration hikes along the way. The combination allows travelers to access areas of particular beauty and ecological significance.
BIKE
Biking allows us to explore and discover greater distances, feeling how the elements change throughout the day, varying in intensity –beginner or advanced– and duration – half day to a full day.
SELF GUIDED
The company and knowledge of one of our guides are available for you to discover unique locations in the areas surrounding our lodge – either on foot or by bicycle. For further information approach our exploration team.
COMBINATION
Within a same day we can combine different types of exploration – starting with a hike followed by a bike ride, a horseback ride or vice versa.
HIGH MOUNTAIN ASCENT
We strive to introduce our travelers to truly remote locations – and mountains are one of them. Each one has its own different demands and rewards, yet they all guarantee a revitalizing experience for mind and body alike.
Within a same day we can combine different types of exploration – starting with a hike followed by a bike ride, a horseback ride or vice versa.
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