The Inca Trail

Salt flats at Maras

Not far from Ollanta is Maras, a farming town with a population of around 2000. On the trail we visit the salt mines, which have been exploited since Inca times. The very first Maras people belonged to the clan of Ayar Cachis, who was lord of the salt. Legend has it that the salt turned into a mountain close to Cusco, and it is believed that people first settled there because they believed there were salt mines inside the mountain. After Maras, our part of the trail takes us on a seven hour trek to Ollantaytambo, one of the best surviving examples of Inca town planning. The name comes from the phrase "Tambo de Ollanta", a "Tambo" being a shelter or fortress. The town is located at foot of some Inca ruins, which used to protect the strategic entrance to the Urubamba river. This complex would have been the work of thousands of people, and Ollantaytambo was the only Inca stronghold ever to have resisted attacks from the Spanish, defeating Francisco Pizarro's younger brother Hernando, who ordered a retreat.

At Chilca, the trail follows along the banks of the Urubamba gorge, which has stunning views. The Urubamba river winds its way to Chachabamba. Here, there are ruins of an important religious site, where the Incas worshipped their deities. Chachabamba was also thought to be a gatehouse to guard the route to Macchu Picchu. After a four hour ascent from Chachabamba, the trail reaches Winay Wayna, which overlooks the Urubamba river. It was discovered by the Wenner Gren Scientific Expedition to Hispanic America in 1941. Winay Wayna was probably home to around 800 people and was given its name - which means "Eternal Youth" - by a Peruvian archaeologist called Dr. Julio C. Tello. From here, the trail winds up a flight of stone steps to a small stone structure, a rectangular doorway. This is Intipunku, the Gateway of the Sun, through which trekkers finally get their first glimpses of Macchu Picchu.

The Urubama gorge

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