Impact Explorers: Ultimate Peru: The Other Amazing Incan Ruins

Peru easily makes its way on the list of amazing places that Impact Explorers wants you to know about. Peru is a poor country with a huge tourism industry that keeps growing. Your visit to Peru will most certainly contribute economically to the livelihoods of hard working Peruvians who live in poverty. This impact can be through your tour group bookings, market purchases, hotels, restaurants, street venders, and many other tourism services.

While the first thing that probably comes to mind when you hear the word "Peru" is Machu Pichu, there are so many other amazing Incan Ruins to see while traveling around Cusco, Peru. I have personally been to Cusco several times now, but it wasn't until my most recent trip when I visited additional ruins that I really gained a deeper appreciation of the beauty and magnitude of the ancient Incan Empire. Now, let's get started on our list!

Honorable Mention- Downtown Cusco: After having heard about this famous 12-sided stone so many times, I figured by my third visit to Cusco I had to just go take a look. Sure enough, there's a rock with 12 sides! It's amazing how the stones all fit perfectly together. All around the main plaza of downtown Cusco are ancient alleyways and walls built by the Incas. I can only imagine what it looked like before the Spanish conquest.

Here is the famous 12-angled stone!

This is the same wall of the 12-sided stone. All Inca made baby

Took this pic as we passed by again in daylight

Long alleyway that feeds into the main plaza

7. Chinchero: Number 7 on our list of amazing Incan ruins is the small rustic town of Chinchero, whose stunning ruins are the centerpiece of town. Chinchero lies between Cusco and Urubamba and can be reached by a private taxi or by booking a tour through one of the many local tour operators. As is the case for many pre-Columbian ruins in Latin America, the Spanish built an adobe Catholic cathedral right on top of the ruins.

Tourist market right in the courtyard of Chinchero ruins

Spanish church on top of the ruins

The locals are happy to take selfies. Small tips are appreciated

Open areas above the terraces

Me and my sweetheart out at the terraces

6. Moray: Next on our list, we have the intriguing ruins of Moray. We visited Moray with the same tour operators that took us out to Chinchero. Moray is intriguing because it was apparently an Incan agricultural experiment used to grow different crops that require different growing temperatures. The tour guides said there could be something like 10 or 20 degree differences between the lowest and highest layers, though I did read something about some German study that refutes this claim of a large temperature difference. Regardless of the different perspectives, this place is cool!

Selfie above the main terraced formation

Same spot minus the selfie

Another terraced formation at Moray

Complete with views of the magnificent Andes

5. Sacsayhuamán: For our next 2 Incan sites, we need to head back to Cusco. First, we have the fortress of Sacsayhuamán. Sacsayhuamán forms the head of the puma in which the city of Cusco was designed to resemble, and sits on the hills overlooking the city. The massive stone walls are impressively smooth and fit together perfectly. It kind of looks like a medieval castle!

I Gotta throw in a pic of my little cutie!

The whole fam...

...and even my mother-in-law! I love the backdrop of this photo

I love the traditional dress of this area

Epic view of Cusco from Sacsayhuamán

4. Quorikancha: The Qorikancha, or temple of the sun, is so dang cool. This was the mother of all Incan temples up until the Spanish conquest when it was mostly destroyed, and also topped off with a Spanish cathedral. Today, tourists can visit this unique blended building and see where the colonial era meets the Incan era. I wish I could have seen this place before the Spanish destroyed it. I've read from some early conquistador accounts about how amazed the Spanish were at the sight of this temple. Even today it is absolutely amazing!

At first we admired this place from outside

And then admired it some more

Finally, we just had to go inside!

3. Tipón: Tipón is a demonstrates the water engineering mastery of the Incas. This ancient garden sits 3,400 meters above sea level.

Main fountain of Tipón

Main plaza of the Tipón garden

2. Pisaq: Ok, now things are getting juicy. Number 2 on our list are the spectacular ruins of Pisaq. Pisaq is located high up on a mountain at the beginning of the sacred valley. As this was the last stop of our marathon tour day, we barely made it through the gates before it closed- and I was so glad we made it! Pisaq was once one of the great fortresses of the Incan Empire, and it's easy to see why.

View at the entrance of Pisaq

The largest cluster of buildings overlook the terraces

Sun going down-closing time!

1. Ollantaytambo: We've made it to number 1 on our list! Ollantaytambo was the place where it hit me that there was so much more to Peru, Cusco, and the Incas than just Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo is your last stop in the sacred valley before you make your way through the jungle towards Machu Picchu. The entire city of Ollantaytambo is an archeological site! As you make your way through the still-inhabited ancient town you can see the fortress of Ollantaytambo on the mountain above town. It was here where Manco Inca and his forces resisted an attack from the Spanish.