The water was diverted into a field above, so you can see the Inca canal is still paved with stone.

Pisac and Ollantaytambo get all the attention, but Yucay is lovely.

It’s a small town about halfway through the valley, just east of Urubamba. (Pisac is the eastern end of the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo is the western end).

The town itself has a closeknit community vibe, despite the presence of several big luxury hotels. Rather than a cement plaza, the church is surrounded by fields used for soccer and picnics. Anytime the weather is good, which is most of the time in the Sacred Valley, there are kids running around and adults sitting back to watch them.

Yucay has one of the best hikes in the Sacred Valley.

The first time I discovered the peacefulness of Yucay was 2020, when I was desperate to go somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t my couch in Cusco. What I loved about this hike four years ago is exactly what I love about it today. Here’s my top five reasons why you should hike in Yucay.

1. It’s perfect for a relaxing day and for acclimating to the altitude.

Yucay is 9,374 feet above sea level (2,857m), significantly lower than Cusco but higher than Machu Picchu. If you’re coming from sea level, the Sacred Valley is the perfect place to acclimate to the altitude and the Yucay hike is a perfect first hike.

Inca canals in Yucay Sacred Valley Peru — People still use the canal water for both irrigation and washing, like this woman rinsing bundles of cilantro.

2. The trail follows Inca constructions.

Along the hike, you’ll follow canals designed for irrigation about a thousand years ago. Canal systems in the Sacred Valley pre-date the Inca, though they were all improved during the Inca’s massive public works projects. The canals are bordered with original Inca walls, one of the major improvements made around the same time Inca temples were being constructed in Cusco. The original stonework still lines the bottom of the canals, and the walls on both sides. Rising above the canals are terraces, also built when the Inca ruled the Sacred Valley.

3. There are trees that shade most of the trail.

This is a rarity in the Andes, as most hikes are well above tree line. I can’t think of another hike anywhere in the Cusco region that has as much shade as this hike from Yucay. Besides shade for hikers, the trees give shelter to dozens of bird species. This is an excellent place to see Mitred parakeets and several species of hummingbirds, as well as rufous-collared sparrows, thrushes and variable hawks.

Ancient tombs in Yucay Sacred Valley Peru — These tombs are on the western side of the trail, on your left as you hike up the irrigation canals.

4. You can see ancient tombs.

High above the trail, you can see tombs that have unfortunately been looted. I didn’t climb up to look inside, but most looted tombs I’ve seen in the Cusco region still have skeletons resting in them. As brutish as looters may be, breaking open sealed tombs and stealing any artifacts they can sell on the black market, they usually have enough humanity left in them to not take the skeleton itself out of its resting place.

Hiking in Yucay Sacred Valley Peru — You eventually get a ways above the valley floor, but the trail is so gradual you don’t notice the uphill.

5. The trail isn’t steep.

Along with the shade, this is another rarity in the Cusco region. It’s a vertical country, where going anywhere involves changes in elevation and most hiking trails are steep. The Yucay trail follows the irrigation canals up to an area that used to have a mill, and then heads back down on the other side of the valley.