So whilst acclimatising in Cusco before setting off on the Salkantay and Inca Trail treks, we wanted a small hike to improve our stamina. We found this hike and it had the added bonus of allowing us to explore the Incan ruins around Cusco without needing a guided tour. You did, however need a ticket to see the ruins, which came to 70 soles per person for access to all four of the major ruins.
And by ‘found this hike’ I mean I came across it whilst reading other blogs. This particular route is described really well here:
So if you’re planning on giving this walk a go, I’d advise reading their post in detail. As such, I won’t be giving any route instructions, apart from when it varies slightly from the above article. This page is more just about our experiences doing this walk.
Contents
Walking to the Temple of the Moon
Getting to Tambomachay
Whilst the authors of the other blog got a taxi to the starting point, we got the local bus and this was an experience in itself. We found the bus stop on Paradero Garcilaso and were only waiting for five minutes when the white and blue ‘Señor del Huerto’ minibus pulled up. A harried-looking young woman jumped off the bus and when we tried to ask if it was the right one (in Spanish) she didn’t answer, just made wild gestures to hurry us on and before we’d made more than two steps onto the bus it lurched forward back into the traffic. We stumbled down the aisle to two free seats right at the back and slumped into them. We hadn’t paid for a ticket and didn’t really know what was going on but google maps suggested we were heading in the right direction so we relaxed into our seats and watched what everyone else was doing. It seemed that before each stop the young woman would shout out the name of the stop and who ever was getting off would raise their hand. She would then come and get the fare for the ride, spraying the coins with antiseptic before accepting them. Our stop was the very last one and took about half an hour or so to get to. The journey cost us 2 soles each, so much cheaper than a taxi!
Tambomachay
The furthest of the four major ruins from Cusco is Tambomachay. You are able to buy the overall ticket for the ruins at the entrance but only in cash. Tambomachay is the smallest of the four ruins but is in a nice setting and you can walk around in the countryside a bit if you have the time. Given that we were at the start of our walk we didn’t spend too much time there (no more than 20-30 minutes) and the highlight was probably the locals herding their sheep and llamas through the site to get to the pastures beyond.
Puka Pukara
By crossing the main road at the entrance to Tambomachay, you can already see the next destination. On a high hill overlooking the valley, Puka Pukara is an impressive site. The views from a distance were probably just as nice as getting up close but the ancient walls were still impressive. It was here that we first encountered an American couple with a guide. We met these three people a few times during the day – so it is possible to get someone to do the hike with you if you wanted more detailed information on the sites and didn’t want to spend your time in a mini-van.
Walking to the Temple of the Moon
The next part of the journey is where you do most of the walking. But it is a really pleasant walk down into the valley. We did take the wrong road once following the instructions in the other blog but soon corrected it using an offline map. You end up at the Temple of the Moon (Templo de la Luna). This is not one of the major ruins and does not require a ticket. In fact there seemed to be lots of locals just relaxing and enjoying a lazy Sunday. The temple was set upon a hill but the hill had a crack running all of the way through it. Unfortunately, it could no longer be entered but we met a local who was telling us that they used to go there for special celebrations, such as the solstices. Despite the wind, it was a lovely place to stop and have a snack.
The walk down from Puka Pukara. 
Our first glimpse of Cusco in the distance. 
We were being watched. 
A local taking some tourists on a horse ride with the Temple of the Moon looking up in the background. 
View from the top of the Temple of the Moon. 
The views of the hills behind the temple were just as nice.
Heading to Q’enco
After leaving the Temple of the Moon, you join an old Incan trail and this takes you past the ruins of another temple before heading towards Q’enqo. This is where I’d differ from the instructions in the above blog. We followed their instructions and went off the main road and around the hill. You end up at the bottom of the site and I don’t think the view is that great. We may have made a mistake but regardless, we think you should just go up the road to the main entrance. This is at the highest point in the site and gives you the best views. You also have to go down through the site to get to the next destination, so it didn’t make much sense to us to go up through the site only to go the same way back. Also, due to COVID, you can’t go in amongst the ruins anymore, you can only take the one route around the outside. This meant that we weren’t really particularly impressed with Q’enco so we didn’t spend too much time here before carrying on towards Saqsaywaman.
Saqsaywaman
The last stop of the trip was the biggest and most impressive. The sacred site of Saqsaywaman (pronounced as ‘sexy woman’!!). Situated on the hill overlooking Cusco, this site must have been amazing in its prime. Even the skeleton that is left shows how talented the Incan builders must have been. Huge rocks were shaped with such precision that they fitted seamlessly with those around them. Before entering we walked through the dozens of locals on the fields outside flying kites with their children, it seems to be a very popular past time here. We enjoyed walking through the site before sitting and taking in the view of Cusco. It was then a simple case of walking down the many steps back into the centre of Cusco.
A really nice day and something we’d definitely recommend to anyone visiting Cusco.
Brit and Czech Abroad 