Chinchero

Indigenous lore says that Chinchero, one of the valley's major Inca cities, was the birthplace of the rainbow. Frequent sightings during the rainy season might convince you of the legend's truth. Chinchero is one of the few sites in the Sacred Valley that's higher (3,800 meters or 12,500 feet) than Cusco.

Tourists and locals frequent the small but colorful Sunday artisan market on the central plaza, an affair that gets rave reviews as being more authentic and less touristed than the larger market day in neighboring Pisac. A corresponding Chinchero produce market for locals takes place at the entrance to town.

Little remains of indigenous interest in Chinchero, today a collection of winding streets and adobe houses. After the disastrous defeat by the Spanish at Sacsayhuamán, the Inca Manco Capac passed through here in flight to the fortress at Ollantaytambo, scorching the earth in his wake, Chinchero included.