The Pisac ruins are some of the finest and largest in the entire valley. Despite the excellent condition of many of the structures, little is conclusively known about the site's actual purpose. It appears to have been part city, part ceremonial center, and part military complex. It might have been a royal estate of the Inca emperor (Pachacútec). It was
certainly a religious temple, and although it was reinforced with the ramparts of a massive citadel, the Incas never retreated here to defend their empire against the Spaniards (and Pisac was, unlike Machu Picchu, known to Spanish forces).
After visiting the ruins, we will descend to the village of Pisaq, famous for its market, where hundreds of stalls crowd the central square -- marked by a small church, San Pedro el Apóstolo, and massive pisonay trees.
We will have lunch in Urubamba before visiting a traditional ceramics factory where we can purchase beautiful earthenware. We then continue on to Ollantaytambo with its impressive Inca fortress that guarded the entry of this part of the valley and protected it from possible invasion from the lower jungles. The fortress consists of a series of superimposed terraces of carved stones accessed by long staircases. The design of Ollantaytambo village and the majority of its foundations date from the Inca era when it was a strategic military, religious, and agricultural centre. We have time to stroll in the picturesque streets after settling in at our quaint lodge in this village.
