Puyupatamarca, Archaeological site in Urubamba Valley, Peru

Puyupatamarca, also called Phuyupatamarca, is an Inca archaeological site on a mountain in the Urubamba Valley of Peru, at about 3500 to 3600 metres. Its ruins include five small stone baths that carry fresh running water through Inca-built channels during the wet season. The site is known as "La Ciudad entre la Niebla", the city in the clouds, because mist rises from the forested slopes below.

Little is documented about Puyupatamarca: even its name is uncertain, since it was the name given by Indigenous guides to explorer Paul Fejos during his 1940–42 expedition. No major archaeological excavation has been carried out there, though the site is thought to have held a religious and administrative role in the Inca Empire.

The name Puyupatamarca was given by Quechua-speaking porters to explorer Paul Fejos during his 1940–42 expedition; the site's original name is unknown. The ruins include ritual baths fed by Inca canals, used for water purification ceremonies.

Access is only through guided multi-day hiking tours on the Classic Inca Trail, so you need to book with an operator and prepare physically for the journey. The altitude demands slow movement, frequent breaks, and you should bring enough water and snacks for each day's hike.

The stone baths still receive fresh water during the rainy season, demonstrating how precisely the Inca engineered their water system to harness natural springs. Visitors can see water flowing through channels built centuries ago, exactly as it was designed to work.