It Peru is a wonderland in the South American region. It has numerous remains and ruins as it has seen a lot of civilization falls. Among those majestic ruins, we are going to visit the Pumamarca ruins. The Pumamarca ruins hike starts from Ollantaytambo. It has preserved the glorious past of Incan Civilization. Because of the high concentration of archaeological ruins, Peru has a good influx of visitors and tourists. Peru has a lot of ancient sites with very rich histories. The Pumamarca ruins offer a rich Andean exploration experience.
An Andean Trek to Pumamarca Ruins
Ollantaytambo to Pumamarca trek provides an extravagant experience because it contains many archaeological structures. It treats travellers with breathtaking views on the way to the trekking path. You’ll be able to see splendid waterfalls, llamas and many other native animals gazing in that area. What a treat it will be to watch Andean wildlife in its most untouched and purest form while natives busy in the daily chores and we are busy on a quest for our destination, The Pumamarca ruins.
Pumamarca trail is located in Patacancha Valley in the northern area of Ollantaytambo which is very less travelled as mostly you won’t even find a single trekker there most of the days. Pumamarca ruins are incredibly standing abreast while having their incredible structures, terraces, and enclosures. They have a rich history that dates back to the pre-Inca era. If someone wants to have a raw Andean civilization experience then Pumamarca is the right place.
Itinerary
Our 1-day tour to the Pumamarca ruins is designed in such a way to give our travelers the best tourist experience with great knowledge of the Pumamarca ruins. Such ruins are a great center of attraction for history lovers and explorers. We will travel to Pumamarca ruins from Ollantaytambo. The following will be our Itinerary during our 1-Day hike.
- Pallata
- Pumamarca
We are offering 2 different packages for a 1-Day tour of the Pumamarca ruins. The first package lets you hike uphill to the Pumamarca ruins and ride back to Ollantaytambo via special transport. The second option will be taking a two-way hiking tour. A two-way hiking tour will require you to cover around 12 kilometers on foot on a steep track but it isn’t that tough so you can choose either of these packages as per your desired preferences.
Hike to Pumamarca ruins details
The hiking trip from Ollantaytambo to Pumamarca is a little more than a half-day trip but with a wholesome experience. If you opt for two way trip then we will leave early from Ollantaytambo to our destination. Our first stop will be Pallate which is the starting point of the gorgeous Pumamarca ruins hiking trail which is twenty minutes ride in the north-east of Ollantaytambo. We will start our 6-kilometer hiking to Pumamarca from this point. You will come across a few native Quechua settlements through your hiking track along with native Andean animals including Llamas and many other grazings in the green highlands.
It has a good historic significance as the Spanish Army lost here. After exploring these impressive ruins, we shall head back to Ollantaytambo. It will take 25 minutes to reach Ollantaytambo if we ride back while a downhill hike should not take more than two hours.
History of Pumamarca ruins
The glorious Pumamarca ruins are settled at an altitude of 3533 meters, 11590 feet from sea level and it will take us around 2 hours to trek to the Pumamarca ruins from the starting point. Patacancha and Yuracmayo rivers are overlooked by the majestic hillside ruins of Pumamarca. The stunning ancient ruins comprise twenty-four distinct structures including some classic Inca terraces, enclosures, and aqueducts. It is a common belief that these structures are a part of Wari-Inca civilization. Some archeologists believe that Pumamarca was a ceremonial holy site at the times of Wari civilization. It appeared as a formidable fortress when the Inca Empire rose to glory in Peruvian Andes.
It is also believed that the fortress was built to keep a hawk-eye on logistic routes and to secure communication in the sacred valley when the Inca Empire was prospering. After exploring these strongholds we will head back to Ollantaytambo from where our exploring journey begins. It will take around 25 minutes to reach Ollantaytambo if we have some ride otherwise on foot it won’t take more than 2 hours.
What Is Included?
Our 1-Day tour package of Pumamarca ruin hike includes the following facilities.
- Well versed Spanish and English speaking guides.
- Comfortable private Transport
- Personalized small-group experience
- Ticket to Pumamarca ruins
It’s mandatory to wear high-quality shoes having good grooves to provide the best grip. Good quality footwear is necessary as they let you walk longer as they provide good cushioning to ankles Don’t compromise on footwear and carry good shoes that provide better cushioning to feet. Pumamarca hike is so steep so the travelers should carry hiking poles with them so that they have support to withhold the difficulty of the track. Take water and snacks to stay hydrated and fresh. It will make your trekking easy without any inconvenience as the trail is far from the town.
Bring raincoats and umbrellas especially during the rainy season (November to March). Do carry good sunblock to have good skin protection at high altitudes. Trekkers are required to acclimatize in Ollantaytambo so that they do not suffer any illness as a result of altitude sickness Acclimatization is very important to observe otherwise one has to deal with illness. It is a very beautiful hike from Ollantaytambo to Pumamarca and our team will try their level best to facilitate you as much they can to make your trip special.
