We landed at the Cuzco airport and I began to feel again the anticipation of previous days, when I was preparing my trip to Peru. At the exit, a representative of the Explora hotel, which would be our home for the next five days, was waiting for us.
A little over an hour’s drive took us into the heart of the ancient Inca Empire. In the valley of the Urubamba River, the Hotel Explora Valle Sagrado is located in one of the most remote haciendas of the valley, surrounded by cornfields and impetuous mountains.
The Sacred Valley, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero
For most travelers, the Sacred Valley is just a passing place on their way from Cuzco to the mythical citadel of Machu Picchu, where they arrive to briefly visit some of its wonders such as the imposing archaeological center of Pisac, a city built on the mountain and on whose slopes there are hundreds of cultivated terraces. Or the monumental Inca complex of Ollantaytambo, with its terraces and its Temple of the Sun, and the lively town from which trains depart to Aguas Calientes, the town that provides access to Machu Picchu. Or Chinchero, an Inca city with its colorful Sunday fair of handicrafts and local products.
A journey of transformation
But the trip is well worth two or three more days to experience in depth the unique geography and Andean culture of the area. To soak up this destination it is necessary to explore the valley, the plateau and the peaks, and this is the innovative proposal made by theExplora hotel chain, aimed at high-level adventurers looking for a complete travel experience.
Hand in hand with its team of guides, we enter remote and unexplored places. In the Sacred Valley it is still possible to walk peacefully along barely traveled routes, discovering places of great beauty and the way of life of the local communities, while admiring the legacy of the Incas. During the explorations I found a unique opportunity to get away from everyday life for a few days, to disconnect and rediscover myself, and it was then when I was hooked by destiny, when I stopped being an observer and connected with the Valley.
