Urubamba, Peru
Encyclopedia
Urubamba is a small town in Peru
, located near the Urubamba River
under the snow-capped mountain of Chicón. Located one hour from Cusco, Urubamba is the largest town in the Sacred Valley
of the Incas. It is also located near a number of significant ruins of the Inca Empire
, including Machu Picchu
. Tourists often come through the town on their way to visit these sites.
. It is regarded as a good location to go to in order to acclimate to the elevation to prevent altitude sickness
.
There is a popular market selling fresh fruit and vegetables and also pots, pans and other essential items. The market does not really cater for tourists and does not include the locally produced alpaca
garments/ornaments.
.
There is a large sporting field used for local football matches and also for festivals, including the festival of El Señor de Torrechayoc. During the first week of June the town swells with dancers and visitors from local towns who perform in the streets. The festivities do not seem to stop as the local towns people celebrate well into the early hours. The dancing culminates with group performances on the local football pitch.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, located near the Urubamba River
Urubamba River
The Urubamba River is a river in Peru. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rises in the Andes to the south-east of Cuzco near the Puno Region border, where it is called the Vilcanota River . In the Sacred Valley, between Písac and Ollantaytambo, it is also called the Wilcamayu...
under the snow-capped mountain of Chicón. Located one hour from Cusco, Urubamba is the largest town in the Sacred Valley
Sacred Valley
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...
of the Incas. It is also located near a number of significant ruins of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, including Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
. Tourists often come through the town on their way to visit these sites.
Geography
Urubamba is located in the Highlands of Peru. It is regarded as a good location to go to in order to acclimate to the elevation to prevent altitude sickness
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness , altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude...
.
Economy
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
garments/ornaments.
Arts and Culture
Urubamba is the home of the workshop of Pablo Seminario and Marilú Behar. They create quality ceramics which can be purchased from the workshop or the store in CuscoCusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
.
There is a large sporting field used for local football matches and also for festivals, including the festival of El Señor de Torrechayoc. During the first week of June the town swells with dancers and visitors from local towns who perform in the streets. The festivities do not seem to stop as the local towns people celebrate well into the early hours. The dancing culminates with group performances on the local football pitch.
Transportation
Due to the town's proximity to a number of Inca ruins it is a transportation hub with a bus depot and easy access to cabs.- PeruRailPeruRailPeruRail is a railway operator working tourist, freight, and charter services in southern Peru.The main line between the port of Matarani, Arequipa , Cuzco and Puno on Lake Titicaca was formerly known as the Ferrocarril del Sur , and was for a time owned and operated by the ENAFER state company...
Education and Service Work
Urubamba is the base of operations for a variety of volunteer programs that arrange home stays with Peruvian families for college students.External links
- Urubamba tourism information at Cusco Peru.com
- Seminario Ceramic Workshop