Ollantaytambo is that exquisite combination of history, archaeology, architecture, astronomy, and nature, mixed in a breathtaking landscape with a touch of magic in the air.
The site is located at the junction of the Willka Mayu River (Urubamba) and the Patacancha River that descends swiftly from the snow-capped mountains of the Urubamba range. This same river divides the town in two parts, the eastern part where the urban area is located, formed by two sectors. One sector is on the banks of the river called Quello Rakay and has exquisite architecture which reminds me of a modern designed neighborhood with very well-made spaces that are integrated both to the topography and the sunrises. The largest and most important structure is designed with a rectangular shape. Its constructions were made with large blocks of precisely cut stone and joined to each other without any type of cement in which its double jamb entrances denote the importance of the activities that these buildings housed.
Last, but not least, are its 4 powerful water channels that are the living arteries of this sector.
On this same eastern side is the Pinkuylluna Mountain (the one that whistles) where you can see buildings called Qolqas (warehouses). The upper Qolqas are located on a steep slope where they kept products that needed special care such as maize, quinoa, root vegetables, dried meat and seeds. The windy afternoons ventilated the structure and kept the products fresh, and the passing wind between the windows and roof seemed to sound like a whistle.
Mountain Lodges of Peru offers hikes to this mountain to visit the area and obtain a different angle of beautiful Ollantaytambo to observe the urban design of this living Inca town. The view is absolutely breathtaking.
The west bank is the most ceremonial and includes 3 interesting sectors. The first is Inca Watana, a small temple where few tourists go. Here we find an Ushnu (altar of observation) which celebrates the sunsets and acts as a sort of cuckoo clock for the hours. The second sector, built on a steep slope with large stone terraces that rise to build an embankment at
the top, has an incomplete megalithic temple. It is called the Temple of the Sun and is positioned millimetrically in relation to the angle of the sunrise on June 21 (winter solstice). On that day this wall receives the first rays of the sun that sneak between the eastern mountains. It is also noteworthy to mention other incredible stone works in this area — a sundial aligned to the summer solstice, an erect temple to the condor which seems to emerge from the living rock and whose beak is a marker of solstitial zenith, and the beautiful water fountains which adorn and enhance the access to this unique place. Water is a fundamental element for life, and therefore it is always celebrated and honored through these unique constructions.
Next, and in my opinion the most important place in this beautiful town, is the third sector, called the Pyramid of Pacaritampu. It is an immense pyramid, built on the basis of 3 main lines, which are approximately 700 meters long. These lines also support stone terraces made for cultivation, which absorb the slope of the land. In order to observe the fullness and proper angle of this pyramid you must walk about 1 hour up a mountain path that seems to rise from the ground in a volumetric way. Something interesting is that this pyramid has no tip, similar to a step pyramid of the Peruvian coast, like something seen in Pachacamaq south of Lima or even in the Mayan pyramids of Mexico or those of Asian culture. It is not surprising that this form is repeated and many studies already speak on this subject.
Next, there are two doors designed with a “triple jamb”, marking two important moments on the stone clock. One is illuminated (open) for the winter solstice, June 21, and the other towards a date that I am still investigating and that continues to be an enigma in my research. These solar alignments provoke moments that border the magical. In spite of being a precise solar clock,
the beauty of the place, its unparalleled architecture, and rich living culture make Ollantaytambo a site of connection with our ancestors and that takes us back to a time that we have forgotten. A time of builders without limits, wise readers of the sky, in tune with their environment and the phenomena and references that the sky offered them.
Experience the magic of Ollantaytambo town with Mountain Lodges of Peru’s Upper Sacred Valley and Lares Adventure to Machu Picchu and Multi-sport Journey itineraries.
