Day 450 – Pisac to Ollantaytambo

Sacred valley journey continues

Today we had a nice and simple breakfast at Hasta Art Hotel. We met a few people around the kitchen in the morning, who were very sociable. Unfortunately we had to pack our day packs and continue on our sacred valley journey.

Before leaving Pisac we went to Cafe Paris for some baked goods and coffee. 

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Getting from Pisac to Ollantaytambo

We arrived near the bridge in the town around 11am. A few drivers approached us and showed us where to wait. It was exactly where the van had dropped us off yesterday. If we wanted to go back to Cusco, we just had to cross the road.

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We were getting nervous as we had to wait until 11.45am for a collectivo to arrive that was heading to Urubamba. The collectivo only left once it was full, which took 10 minutes for us. 

It took us around 50 minutes to reach the Urubamba Bus Terminal. From here, we asked a staff member for the location of a colectivo to Ollantaytambo. She was really friendly and walked us to the correct colectivo.

There was a colectivo waiting at the Urubamba terminal with only one other person inside. We thought we would have to wait for ages here. But to our surprise, the driver left as soon as we were seated.

From Urubamba, there is only a short drive to Ollantaytambo. We arrived just after 12.30pm at the main plaza.

Ollantaytambo

The town of Ollantaytambo had a charm to it. We didn’t explore town, instead heading to our accommodation, which was close by.

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After a short walk, we arrived at Inka House B&B. The room was massive, with two double beds and a private bathroom. The owner was very nice and gave us a map of the town with recommendations. 

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We found a nice and quiet restaurant called La Casa de Adela for lunch with a decent menu of the day (menu el dia). After lunch we walked to the Ollantaytambo ruins.

Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park

We arrived at the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park at 2pm. Even from the artisanal market in front of the ruins, we can see the towering terrace and stone buildings. It was a very cool to see. 

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There was plenty to see on the ground level, but we decided to follow the crowds and climb up the stairs. Half way up and to the left, we were rewarded with massive stone blocks that have been carved into beautiful walls. 

We kept climbing and found that we were alone. All the tours only seem to stay around the half way point. As we climbed higher, we had nice views of the town and the ruins on the opposite mountain called Pinkuylluna.

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Once we descended, we visited the various fountains that are still working. 

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We spent a total of 2.5 hours at the site. The Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park is included in the Boleto Turístico del Cusco 10 Day Pass.

Ollantaytambo Night Life

After the ruins we went back to the accommodation to shower. Then we decided to go out for dinner.

In short, there is not much night life in Ollantaytambo. We went to a Pizza/Bar, which was cold inside and full of dogs. Then we ventured around the central square looking for something to eat. We decided to go to El Olivo for some pizzas, which were advertised as ‘on special’. The food was decent but once the bill came out, they charged us way more than we were expecting. 

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However, we just paid and left. I’m sure karma will sort out any injustice in the future. While we were walking around town at night and during the day, we fell in love with the stone walkways and narrow side alleys. We extended our stay for another night.

Travelled November 2019

Expenses and Transport

• Boleto Turístico del Cusco – 10 Day Pass – 130 PEN (~$62 AUD) per person
• Colectivo – Pisac to Urubamba Bus Terminal – 4 PEN (~$2 AUD) per person
• Colectivo – Urubamba Bus Terminal to Ollantaytambo – 2 PEN (~$1 AUD) per person