e city of Urubamba, also known as the pearl of the Vilcanota, was one of the main agricultural centers due to its great fertile land in Incan times. It is located at the foot of the snow-capped mountains Chicon and Pumahuanca at only 2,871 m.a.s.l. and 78 km from the city of Cusco. Its majestic landscape highlights its beauty due to the variety of ecological levels and pleasant climate.
Urubamba, which means “pampas a day’s walk” in Spanish, is located in the heart of the Sacred Valley, in an impressive area for extreme sports such as hiking, canopy, mountain biking, paragliding, canoeing, hot air ballooning, etc. In addition, you will enjoy getting to know mystical places with a lot of history and culture that are still alive despite the years.
Learn more about the interesting places you will find in the heart of Urubamba:
- Santiago Apostle Church: Built in 1650 by Juan Arias de la Lira, parish priest of the place with the help of Bishop Manuel Molinedo. On December 28, 1972, it was declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation because it was considered the first church in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Its architecture still preserves works of colonial art, the cross for example maintains a Gothic style, the altar is bathed in gold leaf and silver plating. You can also find the image of an Inca with a mascaypacha on his head.
- The Martín Pio Concha House: He was the last Spaniard who ruled Cusco in the XIX century. In this place are the 360 archaeological pieces found in Machu Picchu by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham, after being returned by Yale University, here you can see bone remains, metal, ceramic and lithic pieces.
- Main square of Urubamba: Surrounded by a chain of greenish mountains, the square is the central point of the whole city. In front you can see the San Francisco church, built on Inca foundations. Also, very close to this place you will find restaurants dedicated to the typical Cusquenian gastronomy and excursion agencies that will guide you to learn more about the Inca culture.
- Urubamba River: Also known as Wilcamayu (Sacred River), it is one of the main rivers of Peru that rises in the knot of the Vilcanota at 4,314 meters above sea level, its name in Spanish means “plateau of spiders” and it is the ideal place for canoeing. It is recommended to practice this sport in the months of December to March because of the different degrees of difficulty (I, II, II).
How to get to Urubamba
Urubamba, bordering provinces such as: La Convención, Anta and Calca, it is located only 78 km from the city of Cusco, approximately 1 hour and a half by bus or car. The tourist will have two options to get to this place, to the north towards Chincheros and to the northeast via Pisac towards Calca.
In the city of Urubamba you will find a train station, from this point the PeruRail Vistadome, the only train to Machu Picchu Station that departs from this area.
Be sure to learn more about the ancestral Inca culture, a place that still maintains its fertile lands for the best corn production. Enjoy and live the combination of ancient culture with the adventure of Urubamba!