The Sacred Valley of the Incas within its geographical location includes from the towns of the district of Pisac to the district of Ollantaytambo which are located to the northeast of the city of Cusco, both districts are part and belong to the provinces of Calca and Urubamba.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is located 35 kilometers from the city of Cusco, and about 600 meters below the level of the city of Cusco.
Both provinces have a varied physical configuration with different altitudinal levels with district capitals that vary from 2860 meters above sea level. (Ollantaytambo) to 3772 meters above sea level (Chinchero). (Chinchero). It is politically divided as follows:
Province of Urubamba (2871 m.a.s.l.)
- District of Chinchero
- District of Maras
- District of Huayllabamba
- District of Machupicchu
- Ollantaytambo District
- Urubamba District
- Yucay District
Province of Calca (2926 m.a.s.l.)
- District of Coya
- Lamay District
- Pisac District
- District of Calca
- District of San Salvador
- Taray District
- Yanatile District
- District of Lares
Geographical coordinates of both provinces that are part of the Sacred Valley of the Incas:
CALCA
- Latitude: -13.3167
- Longitude: -71.9539
- Latitude: 13°19’0”South
- Longitude: 71° 57′ 14” West
URUBAMBA
- Latitude: -13.3058
- Longitude: -72.1161
- Latitude: 13°18’21”South
- Longitude: 72° 6′ 58” West
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is taken from the basin of the Vilcanota river or Wilcamayu (sacred river) being the main districts more characteristic of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
The districts of the province of Urubamba such as: Yucay, Ollantaytambo, Huayllabamba and the district of Machupicchu are located on the banks of the Vilcanota river which is the basin of the sacred valley of the Incas.
The districts belonging to the province of Urubamba such as: Maras and Chinchero are located to the west of the sacred valley, above the plateau of which is Maras – Chinchero.
The districts belonging to the province of Calca such as: Coya, Lamay, Pisac, San Salvador, Calca and Taray are also located on the banks of the Vilcanota river which is the basin of the sacred valley of the Incas.
The snow-capped mountains Chicon, La Veronica, Pumahuanca, Salkantay are the ones that feed all this strait of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Since pre-Hispanic times the sacred valley became the appropriate place for the foundation of towns, it was there where the Incas took advantage of the richness of the land to settle on the banks of the river by the ideal ecological conditions for production with unique features and the presence of snowy and relict forest with a unique environment because of all these features the Incas planned and building urban centers, religious shrines, agricultural centers and military centers.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF THE SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE TOURIST TICKET
- Archaeological site of Pisac
- Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site
- Archaeological site of Chinchero
- Archaeological site of Maras – Moray
NOTE
All districts are part of the Sacred Valley but the most characteristic for having a place in the tourist ticket are the most called and known nationally and internationally, however each place has a tourist attraction with Inca constructions.
