Yucay a picturesque town of Inca origin

Yucay

Location of Yucay: 67 km (1h 15 minutes) northeast of Cusco (17 km north of Calca)

Altitude: 2,890 masl

A picturesque town of Inca origin. Cheerful and charming, with a pleasant temperate climate and surrounded by lush agricultural fields that give it a unique beauty. Like Pisac, it features two plazas shaded by towering pisonay trees. It is believed that this valley was originally inhabited by native Campa tribes from the Amazon basin, who were expelled by Manco Cápac.

Subsequently, a “privileged settlement was established here, which the Incas maintained as their garden and pleasure estate” (Garcilaso, 1609). Yucay boasts the remains of some of the finest agricultural terraces in the region. The rebel Inca Sayri Túpac built his royal palace here, ruins of which still stand today. It was here that the Incas developed their earliest known private property arrangements, alongside magnificent agricultural engineering feats.

Its main church, dedicated to Santiago the Apostle, features several remarkable altars and colonial paintings, as well as a small on-site museum.

Your Experience When Booking: “From Cusco: Sacred Valley Full-Day Tour with Lunch”

What you will do

• Discover the highlights of the Sacred Valley of the Incas
• Learn about the history of the Inca civilization with an expert guide
• Visit a local market and an alpaca wool textile workshop