The
Sacred Valley of the Incas or
Urubamba Valley is a
valley in the
Andes of
Peru, close to the
Inca capital of
Cusco and below the ancient sacred city of
Machu Picchu. The valley is generally understood to include everything between
Písac and
Ollantaytambo, parallel to the
Urubamba River, or Vilcanota River or Wilcamayu, as this
Sacred river is called when passing through the valley. The valley was appreciated by the Incas due to its special geographical and climatic qualities. It was one of the empire's main points for the extraction of natural wealth, and the best place for
maize production in Peru.
