Urco, Archaeological site in Calca District, Peru.
Urco is an archaeological site with terraced fields and stone structures at 2926 meters elevation in the Sacred Valley. The ruins spread across steep slopes with visible water channels and foundations of residential spaces.
Urco was occupied continuously from the Late Intermediate Period, when the Killke culture built the first structures, until the Late Horizon under Inka rule. The site's two sectors, ceremonial and agricultural, reflect this long use. The carved rock at Wiracocha Urco and the terraces date to this occupation.
The stepped fields show how water was carefully managed and soil kept stable across steep slopes to make farming possible in high mountains. Visitors can see how this approach allowed different crops to grow at different elevations.
From Calca, take the road toward Urubamba for 2 km, then a paved track for 2.8 km to reach the site at the foot of Pitusiray. The ruins lie 4.8 km from Calca. The ceremonial sector holds a tower with a door, two windows and niches; below it, the Wiracocha Urco rock has a carved channel ending at an amphibian, snake or puma head.
The water management systems here were so sophisticated that they channeled water from distant higher sources across kilometers of terrain. Some of these ancient channels still function partially today.
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