Ollantaytambo Machu Picchu

by Sanjiv
(India)

Sixty kilometres northwest from the larger city of Cusco , in the Urubamba province, is a famous southern Peru archaeological site of Inca heritage within a town called Ollantaytambo.

This is a town that is located above sea level at a soaring altitude of 9,160 feet. In the past, Ollantaytambo was Emperor Pachacuti’s royal estate during the time of the Incan Empire.

Ollantaytambo was made into the empire’s ceremonial hub by the Emperor when he conquered that particular region. It was also the main town with a stronger Inca resistance that was upheld by Manco Inca Yupanqui during the time that the Spaniards entered and conquered Peru.

Today, Ollantaytambe is a key tourist attraction in Peru drawing in tourists from all four corners of the globe. It is strategically located at the meeting points of the Urubamba River and the Patakancha River.

It is at this site that the much practice 3-day and 4-night Inca Trail hike is started by tourists. Tourists are mainly attracted to the ruins that still remain in the area and the fact that it has a rich history as a ceremonial center of the Incan Empire.