Ollantaytambo Peru

Ollantaytambo: The Inca Town Where People Still Live in Inca Buildings

Most Peruvian archaeological sites are ruins. Ollantaytambo is not, quite. The original grid of Inca streets, water channels, and stone housing units called canchas has been continuously inhabited since the 15th century. The water channels still run. People live in the buildings. You walk through a working neighbourhood, not a reconstructed one – and the distinction matters more than it sounds, because it changes what you feel walking those narrow stone-paved streets.

The site is 72 kilometres from Cusco in the Sacred Valley, at 2,792 metres altitude. The fortress on the hillside above town is the draw: massive rose-granite terraces rising steeply with the incomplete Sun Temple at the top. The six giant monolithic stones of the temple, each weighing around 50 tonnes and brought from a quarry across the valley and up the mountain, are the most striking single feature. The transport and positioning logistics required to move them remain incompletely understood; the engineering required is not disputed. Below the temple, the precision of the fitted stonework on the terraces matches anything at Machu Picchu.

Ollantaytambo was also the site of one of the few successful Inca military defences against the Spanish: Manco Inca used the fortress and the surrounding terrain to repel a Spanish attack in 1537, flooding the valley below to prevent cavalry charges and forcing the Spanish into a frontal assault they couldn’t sustain. He was ultimately outflanked, but the defence lasted long enough to matter historically.

Visiting the Site

Access to the ruins is included in the Boleto Turistico del Cusco, the regional tourism pass (around 130 soles for the full pass, which also covers sites in Cusco city). Without the pass, entry is more expensive. Allow two to three hours for the fortress, terracing, and temple area. The climb up the main terraces is steep but does not require technical ability; the upper sections are less visited and worth the extra effort for the views back down the Urubamba valley.

Below the fortress, the Fuente Inca spring and the carved rock faces lower down the valley are frequently rushed past by visitors moving between the town and the train station. Give them 30 minutes if you have time.

The Town

The original Inca settlement is in the northwestern part of town, immediately below the fortress. The streets are narrow, stone-paved, with water channels running down the middle – original Inca hydraulic infrastructure, still functioning. This section of town is considerably more evocative than the tourist-facing market street on the approach. Walk it without purpose and without a timetable.

For food, La Esquina on the main square is reliable for lunch. Heart’s Cafe is popular with trekkers for its set menus and covered seating. Neither is going to change your relationship with food, but both will feed you without complaint.

Practical Notes

Ollantaytambo is the main departure point for trains to Aguas Calientes, the village below Machu Picchu. PeruRail and Inca Rail both run services; the journey takes 90 minutes to two hours. Train tickets for Machu Picchu sell out months in advance during June through August. Book before you book your flights if your dates are fixed.

At 2,792 metres, altitude is far less of an issue here than in Cusco at 3,400 metres. Most travellers arriving from Cusco acclimatise gradually; anyone coming directly from sea level should take the ascent seriously and plan a slow first day.