The communities of Willoq and Patacancha are located in the highlands of the Sacred Valley (near Ollantaytambo). The indigenous people from these communities are accustomed to the extreme conditions of living at high altitude. As such, most porters working for the famous Inka Trail to Machu Picchu come from these villages.
Since the beginning of tourism development around the Inka trail, these porters brought us much inspiration as they are so tough in the harsh conditions. They also brought with them a lot of colour, humour and positive attitude. The native attire of Willoq and Patacancha people is extremely beautiful; their hats and ponchos are visible from far away. If you go to visit them for the day or stay overnight, you will have the privilege to learn first-hand from them, about their fascinating, living culture.
Book here or read more about the learning experience below.
If you are in Cusco, this journey will start at 8 am, if you are already in the Sacred Valley we may start a little later at 9:00 am. We will take the paved road going to Ollantaytambo and from there we will take a dirt road going up the mountains for a little over an hour.
On arrival to Patacancha we will meet the local coordinator, they will be our guide & culture interpreter. Our next destination is the Alpaca farm of one of the local families. We will take a little walk (about 20 minutes) to get to their alpaca barn. Be aware that we will be walking at over 4000 meters altitude. The hike is very gentle but it might feel difficult since the air is thin. Bring a warm coat because the wind at this altitude is cool.
There we meet the local shepherds and learn about the alpacas, the rituals before shearing them and the importance of thanking the mountains (Apus), and mother earth (Pachamama) for providing the clothes and food from the Alpaca. This is an extremely special moment of connection with the spirituality of the Quechua people.
Our ceremony will finish at around noon and we will go back to the community to enjoy a typical Andean lunch called Pachamanca.
Pachamanca is a traditional Andean Peruvian dish that involves baking different sorts of meats (lamb, chicken, guinea pig, beef etc.) and produce such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yuka and fava beans in an earth oven. Hot stones are buried in the ground are heated with fire. The food is prepared, covered and placed in the Pachamanca and then buried.
Pachamancha comes from the union of two Quechua words: pacha, which means “earth”, and manka which means “pot”. The pacahamaca is an important part of Peruvian cuisine and has existed since the time of the Incas.
The host family will be in charge of preparing the lunch for you. We will let you choose the kind of meat or produce you will want to eat. If you are vegetarian, we can adjust the menu according to your needs and taste.
After lunch, we will return home to Sacred Valley or Cusco with the bus. Alternatively, if our group has the energy, we can hike back down to the Sacred Valley along foot-trails that pass by the lesser-known, but very beautiful, archaeological site named Pumamarka. This is an easy hike of about 6km down a scenic remote path, it takes about an hour and a half
Prices
2 People
121 USD /per person.
3 People
82 USD /per person
4 People
64 USD /per person
5 People
53 USD /per person
6 People
50 USD /per person
7 People
44 USD /per person
8+ People
39 USD /per person
INCLUDED:
- Transportation from/to the home in Sacred Valley
- English speaking tour guide
- Entrance fee to Maras
NOT INCLUDED:
- Lunch and Alpaca shepherds ceremony: 22.00 USD per person
- “Boleto turistico” or BTC is a mandatory entrance fee to access the most important sites of Cusco. The customer has to purchase the Boleto de Turistico at the first site he/she enters in Cusco. The entrance fee for 16 archaeological sites is 130 soles per person or approximately 40 USD and it is valid for 10 days. There is a one 1 or 2 day pass for fewer archaeological sites. The cost is 70 Soles or approximately 20 USD. Children until 9 years old do not pay entrance fees.
WHAT ESSENTIALS SHOULD I BRING?
It is recommended to bring sunglasses, sunscreen with high SPF, moisturizer, and hat, comfortable clothes for the day, cotton shirts, hand sanitizer and camera!
When you go over 3500 meters you always need to bring a fleece jacket and a thick winter jacket just in case. The wind is very cool at that altitude!