The ruins of Sacsayhuaman, sitting above Cusco
If you’ve already checked out the Cusco page here on World Travel for Couples, you’d know that we spent a day in the surrounding area checking out Incan ruins to psyche ourselves up and learn a bit more about the Incan culture before embarking on our 4 day trek to the grandaddy of them all, Machu Picchu.
Following is a recap of the route we took, along with a lot of information about the ruins and Inca culture that we learned so much about throughout the day. It was a very cool thing to do before hiking the Inca Trail. At the end of the recap are tips and options for visiting these ruins, as there are many more than simply hiking to them all like we did. Enjoy!
The Route We Took
Us and our new friend, Aiman, in front of Mother Rock at Sacsayhuaman
We were fortunate enough to meet a fellow traveler, Aiman, at the South American Explorer’s Club Halloween party the previous night, and he was planning on hiking around the surrounding ruins as well. So we joined forces and hit the road the following morning.
Luckily for us and our limited Spanish at that point of the trip, Aiman was fluent in Spanish, which proved helpful for us later on in the day. We didn’t have a clear cut plan, but we did know if we hiked up and out of Cusco, we’d come across a first set of ruins, Sacsayhuaman, that sat above the city, providing a spectacular view.
From there, we knew that a road went to Pisac, which was about 6 miles (9.5km) from the Plaza de Armas in the center of Cusco, pretty much straight up. In between Sacsayhuaman and Pisac sat three more sets of Incan ruins: Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambo Machay. We hoped to see all four sets of ruins that day while also gauging our fitness level for the upcoming Inca Trail hike.
Sacsayhuaman
We met outside our hostel first thing in the morning and took off (or up) to the first ruin, Sacsayhuaman. These first set of ruins are only a mile from the center of Cusco, but it’s a mile that goes straight up. And since we’re at 11,000 feet (3300 meters), we got our first taste of what our Inca Trail hike is going to be like. We arrived at the first ruin, and we met Hector, a local Cusqueno, who offered to show us around Saqsayhuaman for a nominal tip (20 soles/person, which is less than $7/person).
A man made lake (once filled ) at Sacsayhuaman for observing the stars
As stated earlier, we had Aiman with us, who speaks fluent Spanish, which was great because Hector did not speak English. So Aiman served as a translator for us. I was a little skeptical at first because of the language barrier, but after the three hours we spent with Hector, I was SOOOO glad that we decided to use his services. We learned so much about the ruins, the history of them, and so many interesting facts about the Incas, the Spanish takeover of the Incas, and everything that went into the building of everything we were seeing.
We don't need no stinkin' mortar
The thing that amazed me most was the fact that EVERYTHING was so well thought out. Not only from an architectural standpoint, because obviously that was very impressive being that these huge walls were still standing after 500+ years with absolutely no mortar, but the fact that everything had some type of symbolic meaning.
The Solstice Altar-notice the three levels-everything was done in threes-- Notice the very top picture (three walls)
As an English teacher, I love symbolism. I love when there is a deeper meaning behind something. That’s the thing I love most about reading and teaching literature. Symbolism (even though my students aren’t huge fans) is something that just fascinates me. And the Incas were all about symbolism. For instance, many of the altars and rock carvings made by the Incas were done in threes, which was symbolic of the three worlds the Incans believed in.
These three worlds were represented by three important animals (which coincidentally were kept as domesticated animals by the Incas), the snake, puma, and condor. The snake represented the underworld and was associated with intellect, knowledge and the past. It was also associated with water sources. The puma signified life in the present and represented courage and internal strength. They also believed it could communicate with spirits and forces within the earth. The condor represented the hereafter, the world above. It was associated with balance, the future, and life in another dimension.
Q’enqo
Q'enko Monolith and Ampitheatre
After leaving the Saqsaywaman, we kept heading up towards the other three ruins we wanted to see, with Saqsaywaman being by far the largest. About a mile up the road was Q’enqo, which was a sacred sanctuary of worship to fertility. This was used to host many important ceremonies in Incan times.
Puka Pukara
View of Puka Pukara from Tambo Machay
After leaving Q’enqo, we had our toughest part of the hike, about two miles (again, straight up, along a road, not a hiking path), to our next ruin, Puka Pukara. This was close to the final ruin we planned to visit, Tambomachay, which is where the Inca (which is what the supreme ruler was called) lodged regularly. Puka Pukara was used as a lookout and military headquarter. When the Inca would go to Tambomachay, his people who accompanied him usually stayed at Puka Pukara.
At peace at Puka Pukara
It was a really small place, but the views from Puka Pukara were absolutely stunning. We could see parts of Cusco in the distance, and the Andes were everywhere around us. It was truly a magical place to visit, and I know my inner hippie is coming out here, but I could feel the energy coming from this place. At one point I sat by myself just looking out at the views and taking everything in, and I was truly at peace. Being only a few weeks into our trip at that time, it really hit me for the first time how how lucky we were to be able to do this and have these magical experiences.
Tambomachay
Water still flows in this spring shrine of Tambo Machay, the final ruin on our adventure
Next was a short walk to Tambomachay, which is also known as “The Baths of the Princess” and literally means “resort.” There are still two aqueducts that provide spring water year round. It has a ritual fountain and three terraces built with the typical huge stones fit together with no mortar whatsoever. And these walls don’t look like they’re going anywhere any time soon.
The always friendly Peruvians
Before leaving Tambomachay, we were near a small group of native Peruvians. They were high school kids from Lima, and they were taking pictures of each other. When they saw us, they began talking to us, asking where we were from. Then they wanted to get their pictures taken with us. It was really cute and fun, they were full of energy like all high school kids (when they aren’t in class of course), and it was another cool experience and a chance to interact with locals, who had all been very nice and welcoming.
Back to Cusco
View of Sacsayhuaman and Cusco from the hike back
San Cristobal, next to Sacsayhuaman and sitting high above Cusco
By this time, we realized it was 4pm and we had quite a walk back, and it got dark by about 5:30pm that time of year (early November), so we started our long walk back to Cusco. We luckily were back at Saqsaywaman as the sun was starting to set, and we got some great pics of the ruins with Cusco in the background.
All in all, it was a magical day, and I think the magnitude of this trip, what we were doing, what we had seen, what we were going to see and experience, all hit us like a ton of bricks. A few mornings later we took off for our Inca Trail hike, which if you’ve already read about, was a transcendental part of our entire trip.
Options for visiting the ruins
Walking: Obviously you know that walking is possible. That’s what we did, and it was the cheapest option as we didn’t have to pay for any transportation. It was also a good test to see how we were doing with the altitude since our Inca Trail hike was on the horizon.
Bus: You can take a local bus from Cusco to Pisac (or get off at Tambo Machay) and then hike back, backtracking and seeing all the ruins in the reverse order we saw them in. A good option for those with limited time or who simply don’t feel like hiking. The cost for this is only a few dollars.
Taxi: If you don’t feel like hassling with the local buses and trying to figure them out, hop in a taxi anywhere in town and have them take you to Pisac or the final ruins at Tambo Mahcay. A cab should cost anywhere from $6-$10US. Remember there are no meters, so agree on a price first.
Horse: It’s also possible to walk up to the first ruins at Sacsayhuaman and hire a horse and horseman to take you to the rest of the ruins. This should cost about $6-7US/person.
Tour: There is no shortage of tour operators in Cusco, offering tours for just about everything. Seek out a tour and join the one that looks best. Ask at your hotel/hostel, or if you’re doing the Inca Trail and have already signed up for it (which you should have if you plan on hiking it), check with the same company to see if they offer tours. Typically tours leave the Plaza de Armas at around 2pm and return by about 6:30pm. Prices vary depending on tour operators.
Entrance Fees: $15US/person to enter the ruins, and that includes entrance to all four. Keep your ticket on you as there is no gate, but you may be approached at any time by a guard asking for your ticket.
Guide: We also spent another $15/total for our guide at Sacsayhuaman. Our guide didn’t speak English, so if you’re fluent in Spanish or have someone in your group who is fluent and willing to translate, it was great. We learned tons about the sites and Incan culture in general. The price was negotiable, so who knows what someone else would charge. I would imagine that an English speaking guide costs more.
