Hiking Thru Cities In History

One of the most thought-provoking tourist sights of the Incan Empire, Moray is a large array of concentric circular terraces. The terraces are 100 feet deep in some areas, which left archaeologists puzzled over their purpose. With ongoing research, it was discovered that the terraces were filled with soil from all over the Inca Empire. Also, the temperature can differ by 27°F between the lowest and highest level. With this information, it’s now thought that Moray was an Incan laboratory for selecting crop varieties. The Incan and other Andean cultures managed to create thousands of different maize and potato varieties. Moray could provide insight into how this fantastic agricultural feat was achieved. Moray’s not as popular as other Incan sites. However, the area provides a fantastic look into communities during the Inca Empire. Because Moray is located close to other better-known sights, you can visit Moray along with other Incan ruins when touring the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

The lowland rainforest surrounding Manu National Park is a famous area for an Amazon Rainforest experience. Along with the Tambopata Reserve, the Manu rainforest has been mentioned in various nature and adventure publications because of its incredible wildlife. Some of the most fascinating features of the Manu rainforest are the abundant clay licks, which hundreds of colorful macaws visit to obtain medicinal and salt-rich clay. Lodges have been built in a responsible manner to give guests almost guaranteed sightings of these incredible birds.

Another of Peru’s main tourist sights accessed from Cusco, the Ollantaytambo Ruins, are famous for being the only area where the Inca actually won a battle against the technologically advanced Spanish conquistadors. Ollantaytambo is a pre-Incan fortress that was used as the royal estate of Inca Pachacuti in the 15th Century. However, it was the Manco Inca Yupanqui who led the attack against the Spanish. This was one of the last Incan strongholds against the conquistadors. As the Spanish approached below to begin their attack, the Manco Inca ordered a barrage of boulders, arrows, and spears onto the conquistadors. Combined with the flooding of the area due to the Inca’s remarkable knowledge of irrigation, this led to the Spanish retreat. Located in the Sacred Valley by the Patacancha River, you can visit Ollantaytambo on day trips from Cusco. It is often combined with other nearby attractions.