Part 2: Into the Sacred Valley — Ancient Inca Wonders & Andean Adventures from Cusco, and Sacred Valley

There are moments when travel transitions from simply seeing a place to truly experiencing it—when the journey itself becomes as memorable as the destination. Our Short Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu was one of those moments.

Descending into the Sacred Valley

Day 4: After a quick hour-and-a-half flight from Lima, with the Andes unfolding beneath us, we landed in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. At 11,150 feet above sea level, the change in altitude from Lima is something you notice almost immediately.

Rather than stay in Cusco, we headed straight down into the Sacred Valley, giving our bodies a chance to acclimatize at a lower elevation. Our destination was Urubamba, surrounded by mountains and farmland in the heart of the valley, where we settled into Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado.

A word about the altitude: Landing in Cusco at over 11,000 feet, you quickly realize that even walking a little faster than usual can leave you surprisingly breathless. The best advice? Hydrate, slow down, drink plenty of coca leaf tea, and give your body time to adjust. Coca tea was everywhere—in our hotel rooms, at breakfast, and offered to us throughout the Sacred Valley—and quickly became part of our breakfast routine.

That is also one reason we headed directly from Cusco down into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Nestled between towering Andean peaks along the Urubamba River, the valley sits significantly lower than Cusco, making it a wonderful place to acclimatize before heading back into the higher elevations. And what a place to acclimatize—lush green farmland, ancient terraces, tiny villages, and dramatic mountains rising on either side of the river.

Day 5: We spent the next day exploring the Sacred Valley—and getting our legs ready for the Machu Picchu hike ahead.

We wandered among the ancient agricultural terraces of Pisac and climbed through the massive stone ruins of Ollantaytambo, where enormous Inca walls seem almost impossibly fitted together. Everywhere you look, there is another reminder of a civilization deeply connected to the mountains, the land, the sun, and the rhythms of nature. 

One thing that particularly struck me throughout Peru was how comfortably its different histories seem to coexist. Rather than one culture completely replacing another, Inca and Spanish influences have blended over centuries into something distinctly Peruvian. You see it in the language, food, art, clothing, religious traditions, and architecture—sometimes all within the same building or town square.

We also visited the fascinating Maras Salt Mines (Salineras de Maras), where thousands of small salt ponds cascade down the mountainside like a giant patchwork quilt.

More than 3,000 terraced salt pools are fed by naturally salty spring water flowing from the mountain. Families from the surrounding communities have harvested salt here for generations, allowing the water to fill the shallow ponds and then waiting for the intense Andean sun to evaporate it. The source of all that salt is fascinating in itself. Geological evidence suggests that this part of the Andes was once covered by an ancient sea, and as the mountains rose over millions of years, vast deposits of salt were trapped within the rock. Underground water passes through these mineral-rich layers before emerging as the salty spring that continues to feed the Maras pools today.

What makes Maras especially interesting is that this isn't simply an archaeological site created for tourists—it is still very much a working salt mine and part of the local economy.

As the water evaporates, different grades and colors of salt are harvested. We saw everything from the famous pale pink Maras salt used for cooking to darker, mineral-rich salts used for other purposes. And, naturally, somewhere along the way Peruvians figured out how to make smoked black salt too.

Salineras de Maras

Standing above the valley looking down at thousands of white, pink, and brown pools carved into the mountainside, it was another reminder of something we would see again and again on this journey: the extraordinary ingenuity of the people who learned not merely to survive in this dramatic landscape, but to work with it.

Later, we visited Moray, one of the most unusual Inca sites in the Sacred Valley. From above, it looks almost like a giant amphitheater carved into the earth—a series of enormous concentric circular terraces, with the deepest depression extending roughly 150 meters from top to bottom. It is yet another testament to the sophistication of Inca agricultural engineering. 

One fascinating theory is that Moray functioned as an agricultural research center for the Incas. The different levels and orientations of the terraces create distinct microclimates, with variations in temperature, sunlight, and moisture. Researchers believe the Incas may have used these conditions to experiment with crops and determine which varieties grew best at different elevations and climates across their vast empire.

Corn

And agriculture here was anything but simple. Corn, potatoes, and countless other fruits and vegetables were cultivated and adapted for taste, resilience, altitude, and growing conditions.

Traveling through the Sacred Valley, it is easy to understand why this region remains one of Peru's great agricultural heartlands. The valley is surprisingly lush, with fields of corn, potatoes, strawberries, quinoa, and other crops stretching beneath the towering Andes.

Peru is home to thousands of varieties of potatoes—often cited at more than 3,000—in an astonishing range of colors, shapes, and sizes. Some are cultivated commercially, while others continue to be grown

 by individual communities for local dishes, festivals, and cultural traditions.

And then there is the corn! Peruvian corn, particularly the large-kernel choclo we encountered throughout the Andes, is quite different from the corn we are accustomed to in the United States. We found it everywhere—from kernels tossed into our ceviche to freshly cooked corn sold by street vendors. The kernels are huge, pale white, slightly sweet, and wonderfully satisfying, often served simply with a slice of salty cheese. 

After seeing Moray, the incredible variety of food we had been eating throughout Peru suddenly made a little more sense. For the Incas, agriculture wasn't simply about growing food—it was a science. 

One of our more adventurous food experiences in Peru was trying cuy—roasted guinea pig, an Andean delicacy dating back to Inca times. And there was no disguising what we were eating—it arrived roasted whole, crispy golden skin, tiny legs and all!

Once we got past the presentation and took that first tentative bite, the flavor was surprisingly decent. The meat was rich, almost like roasted duck, and ours had been stuffed with fragrant local herbs that reminded us of basil. The biggest challenge was navigating all those tiny bones—there is definitely a lot of work involved for each bite!

Cuy - Ginea Pig

It was unusual for our palate, certainly a little intimidating, but exactly the kind of food experience we love trying when we travel. Would I order it again? Probably not. But would I recommend trying it at least once while in the Andes? Absolutely.

The Short Inca Trail and Machu Picchu

Days 6 & 7: And then came the part of the journey we had been waiting for—the Short Inca Trail and Machu Picchu.

This experience deserves much more than a few paragraphs, so I am going to leave you here for now. The hike, the spectacular Wiñay Wayna ruins, walking through the Sun Gate, and that unforgettable first glimpse of Machu Picchu will follow in Part 3 of our journey.

Cusco

Day 8: After the hike and our visit to Machu Picchu, we returned to Cusco—tired legs, lots of photographs, and an entirely new appreciation for the Incas.

Walking through Cusco feels like stepping through layers of history. Everywhere you look, massive Inca stone foundations—constructed with extraordinary mortarless precision, the stones fitted so tightly together that you can barely slip a sheet of paper between them—sit beneath ornate Spanish colonial buildings and churches constructed centuries later.

Perhaps nowhere is this contrast more striking than at Qorikancha, once the magnificent Inca Temple of the Sun. After the Spanish conquest, the Santo Domingo Convent was built over its Inca foundations. Yet the original stone walls remain, remarkably resilient after centuries of earthquakes.

We also explored another fascinating Inca archaeological site, believed to have served military or ceremonial purposes. Once again, the sheer scale of the stonework and the ingenuity of the Incas left us amazed.

But Cusco isn't just about ancient ruins. The heart of the city is its beautiful Plaza de Armas, a lively town square surrounded by grand colonial churches, restaurants, shops, and balconies overlooking the plaza. We happened to be there on a Sunday, when the square was buzzing with activity. Colorful parades, marching bands, people dressed in traditional costumes, and crowds of locals and tourists created an almost festive atmosphere. Apparently, Sunday parades are something of a tradition here, and we were lucky enough to experience one!

And, of course, no visit to Peru would be complete without a little shopping. We visited an alpaca textile factory, where we learned about the different grades of alpaca wool and admired the beautifully woven scarves, shawls, and other textiles. I couldn't resist bringing home a lovely alpaca stole—a practical souvenir and a reminder of our time in the Andes.

We also picked up some Peruvian coffee, another of the country's lesser-known treasures. Peru produces some wonderful high-altitude Arabica coffee, and bringing a little home seemed like the perfect way to extend our Peruvian experience long after the trip was over.

Cusco was a wonderful way to wrap up this part of our journey—a city where ancient Inca traditions, Spanish colonial history, and modern Peruvian life come together in the most fascinating way.

Inca below, Spanish above, and modern Peru thriving all around.