Urubamba

Urubamba sits at 2,870 metres, some five hundred metres lower than Cusco, in the widest part of the Sacred Valley, and that difference is why many people now stay here first: sleeping lower makes acclimatising easier and reduces the risk of altitude sickness on the way up. It is a working town rather than a picturesque one - a bus terminal, a covered market, hardware shops, a Sunday and Wednesday market - surrounded by hotels and lodges in the countryside outside. It is also the base for the valley's outfitters, offering rafting on the Urubamba, mountain biking, horse riding and via ferrata routes, and it sits at the road junction that leads to Maras, Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Písac. Restaurants at the higher end have grown in number, several run by Cusco and Lima chefs.

What you actually see

• The lower altitude - 2,870 metres, easier for acclimatising than Cusco.
• The market - a working covered market with produce and food counters.
• The outfitters - rafting, biking, riding and via ferrata operators.
• The junction - road access to every major site in the valley.

When to go

April to October. Two to four days as a base for the valley. Market days are Wednesday and Sunday.

Honest expectations

The town itself has no sights - it is a base, not a destination, and visitors expecting charm are disappointed. Traffic through the centre is heavy. Accommodation ranges from basic to very expensive with little in between.

Nearby

Ollantaytambo is west; Písac is east; Maras, Moray and Chinchero are on the plateau above.