The Sacred Valley of the Incas is close to Cuzco, and is the gateway everybody passes through to get to Machu Picchu. The Sacred Valley is an attraction in itself and a pleasant area to visit while making your way to Machu Picchu.  There are a number of traditional picturesque villages in the Valley which are a pleasure to stop in and take some time to explore.  Incan ruins and pretty valley scenery (terraced hills, snow-capped mountains) abound, so it’s all very interesting to look at.   For those with a bit of time up their sleeves it is also possible to make some nice day hikes.

The land in the Sacred Valley is very heavily worked almost entirely by manual labour.  Fields are ploughed by bulls, terraced gardens are worked to the max, whole families live and work off the land (this includes young children).  Historically the land of the Sacred Valley was so highly valued that it didn’t belong to different individuals, or to a part of the Empire but to the Emperor himself.  Continue reading →