About 90 minutes north of Cusco in the shadow of the Peruvian Andes, the lush Urubamba Valley once formed the heart of the Incan empire and was an important agricultural area supplying food for the surrounding regions. Now, this approximately 100km-long valley is home to some of Peru’s most impressive ruins outside of Machu Picchu and is considered an essential day trip for visitors to Cusco.
Thousands flock to archaeological sites and historic towns like Moray and Ollantaytambo each day (as I did last time I was in Cusco), but this time I was seeking a totally different kind of adventure— climbing high over the Sacred Valley for an incredible condor’s view of the stunning landscape before soaring down to the valley floor on a series of exhilarating zip lines. I recently joined the Natura Vive and SkyLodge team for a thrilling day in the mountains, and I left thoroughly convinced that this is the single most exciting way to experience the Sacred Valley.