Ollantaytambo is located at 2792 meters above sea level in the Sacred Valley to the northeast and 60 kilometers from the city on the banks of the Patacancha River where the Urubamba River meets and converges. Ollantaytambo is one of the largest archaeological complexes of Peru, in an approximate area of 600 hectares and is located in the middle of a geography whose orographic conformation and its position towards the horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES
- Latitude: -13.2586
- Longitude: -72.2636
- Latitude: 13° 15′ 31″ South
- Longitude: 72° 15′ 49″ West
Ollantaytambo was a religious, military, administrative and agricultural center built by the Inca Pachacutec, (considered one of the best Inca rulers, he was a great planner) in an area surrounded by terraces and buildings. A town that maintains the architectural urbanization typical of the Inca culture for that reason is known as the living Inca city, for maintaining the architecture of the streets, with its water channels that pass through the streets and the Quechua language that is practiced throughout the population.
HOW TO GET FROM CUSCO TO OLLANTAYTAMBO
The use of a means of public transportation is an option that will take you from the city of Cusco to Ollantaytambo in a journey of 1 hour and 40 minutes through a paved track, during this journey you will pass through different populations belonging to the sacred valley, the bus where you can take the bus service is located on Pavitos street and Grau avenue in the city of Cusco and the cost of this service is 10 nuevos soles.
By means of an authorized cab that will provide direct service and the cost of this varies from 50 nuevos soles, this will depend on the season and demand. If you take the cab service you can make short stops to enjoy some of the scenery to take pictures and other activities during your trip.
Finally you can take the tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and if your train to Machupicchu has an afternoon or evening schedule, you can stay in this destination to get to know a little more of the town of Ollantaytambo before boarding the train or if you wish you can stay overnight in the same town and thus avoid the cost of a mobility from Cusco to Ollantaytambo if this were the case.
THE CLIMATE OF OLLANTAYTAMBO
The climate of Ollantaytambo is dry from April to December and rainy from January to March. Minimum temperatures vary from 5°C to 11°C and maximum temperatures range from 18°C to 23°C throughout the year.
The characteristics of this valley, especially Ollantaytambo made it a favorable place for various businesses related to tourism, where you can find several hotels and luxury restaurants, being a mandatory step for the view to the citadel of Machu Picchu.
