Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo is a pre-Columbian city in the Sacred Valley of Urubamba Province, Peru, where residents still live within the original layout. The streets run at right angles, with four long axes crossed by seven shorter roads, and buildings follow Inca design principles with trapezoidal doorways and niches.

After a military defeat in 1536, Manco Inca Yupanqui transformed the site into a fortress and repelled Spanish troops here. In later decades, the site lost its strategic importance and became a rural center.

The ceremonial center stands on Cerro Bandolista hill, incorporating temples and carefully positioned stone structures that align with astronomical observations.

Visitors can explore the town on foot, and most paths are accessible on paved or unpaved surfaces. The archaeological complex lies above the settlement and requires climbing stairs with uneven steps.

On the slopes above the valley stand storage buildings that use temperature differences between day and night to keep grain cool and dry. These structures show how the Inca used elevation and airflow for preservation.

Location: Urubamba Province

Elevation above the sea: 2,792 m

Part of: Sacred Valley

GPS coordinates: -13.25806,-72.26333

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:50