The Patacancha village is located 88 km from Cusco, at approximately 2:00 a.m. by car, in the Ollantaytambo district, where it is not uncommon to meet locals.
Together with the people of Willoq, they constitute an ethnic group that has kept Inca traditions alive. Going to meet them is an essential experience to get closer to the Andean lifestyle of always, rich in ancient traditions.
One of the specialties of its villagers is its Textile Art, a true heritage treasure whose own clothing immediately exposes very catchy red and black colors. The registration is extensive (covers or lliclla, ponchos, scarves, bags...), and visitors can find high-quality pieces in these jewels smelling of the authentic, more than the products sold in some chains and craft markets in Cusco or Lima. It is also a tradition that is passed from mother to daughter and from generation to generation. As for the colors, they draw their ink from local plants, and each motif that comes to life on the artist's loom has a symbolic meaning that has been maintained for centuries and even millennia (the oldest textiles discovered in Peru in the Huaca Prieta have more than 6000 years old) and whose iconographic origin of the bestiary and the geometric forms used finds its affiliation in the cave paintings of the subcontinent, strongly imprinted with shamanism.
Location
The Patacancha village is 78 km (1 hr 30 min) from Cusco by paved road. It is located in the Province of Urubamba, Cusco that belongs to Ollantaytambo. Within the flora and fauna there are 60 species of birds, and more than 700 species of plants.
Quechua small traditional town near Ollantaytambo approximately 45 to 50 minutes by car. A cut-off point for the Lares trek. Community known for its high quality textile colors and its traditional way of life.
Altitude of Patacancha in Perú
The altitude of Patacancha in Perú is 4,666 masl
Community Tourism in Patacancha village
The Patacancha valley in Perú is a very particular ethnic group according to some writers who maintain a direct line from the last Incas, which is corroborated by their same surnames as Sinchi, Pukha, Cusipaucar, Tupha and among others.
The Experiential Tourism in Patacancha is close to the town of Ollatantaymbo, this place is one of the most privileged places to get to know the Andean Tradition up close, the people of Willoq and Patacancha meet visitors as a way of integrating into a society that respect them as equals, that is why it is not surprising that they are scattered throughout the square, and the streets of the town of Ollatanytambo.
The Patacancha valley in Perú is located 88 km from Cusco, at approximately 2:00 a.m. by car, in the Ollantaytambo district, where it is not uncommon to meet locals.
Together with the people of Willoq, they constitute an ethnic group that has kept Inca traditions alive. Going to meet them is an essential experience to get closer to the Andean lifestyle of always, rich in ancient traditions.
One of the specialties of its villagers is its Textile Art, a true heritage treasure whose own clothing immediately exposes very catchy red and black colors. The registration is extensive (covers or lliclla, ponchos, scarves, bags...), and visitors can find high-quality pieces in these jewels smelling of the authentic, more than the products sold in some chains and craft markets in Cusco or Lima. It is also a tradition that is passed from mother to daughter and from generation to generation. As for the colors, they draw their ink from local plants, and each motif that comes to life on the artist's loom has a symbolic meaning that has been maintained for centuries and even millennia (the oldest textiles discovered in Peru in the Huaca Prieta have more than 6000 years old) and whose iconographic origin of the bestiary and the geometric forms used finds its affiliation in the cave paintings of the subcontinent, strongly imprinted with shamanism.
The residents of these communities maintain their culture in force. One of the specialties of these descendants of the Incas is their textiles, their clothing, as is often the case with a series of community ventures, have totally eye-catching colors.
Patacancha is the stimulus to open up to experiential tourism where it arises from having observed for a long time how travelers came to a nearby destination Ollantaytambo, in this case they spent a few hours in this and then retired on their buses, without having had the opportunity to meet a true heritage treasure (that of weaving) made by hand and the way they manage to do it, on the one hand, and on the other, excluding poor communities from the benefits of good tourism.
The community members then began to discover, first of all, that their textiles and their culture in general is a valuable capital that must be recovered to put it in value and at the same time, that the world that emits tourism increasingly values expressions of living ancient culture.
Travelers who know how to appreciate the quality of popular art visit these communities because they know that there they will find pieces of excellent clothing, very different from the massive product that is exhibited in the markets of the cities of Cusco.
In addition, in Patacancha valley in Perú it will be possible to meet community members who have become aware of the value of their town traditions and are willing to share them, with great cordiality and joy, in settings that combine a mountainous nature of exceptional beauty, with architectural elements such as terraces and houses raised with adobe and roofed with tile or ichu.
When one is near the town, the one who visits can feel a different atmosphere from the city since there you breathe pure air from nature, which is very pleasant, the human presence adds to the intensity of the red and black that dominate the traditional clothing. For this reason, the common name given to these Inca descendants, of "Huayruros" because their clothing stands out to the eyes the color of the seed of good luck.
The costumes are very beautiful and very colorful, their ponchos woven in different earth tones, chullos decorated with beads and buttons, embroidered monteras, ribbons, braids, hands.
This tradition comes from generation to generation since the weavers learned from their mothers and in the same way they instill their daughters in this same profession.
The men fulfill similar roles and a large part of them are porters of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and many of them complete their working hours in this way, these men are strong characters and very well fed thanks to the green leaf of the coca that makes your build resistant to the hard work of being a porter.
Every day of the week, the weavers' place is active, but it should be visited preferably on Saturdays, which is when they have prepared to receive travelers, where they can share ideas and customs.
In Patacancha there is also an association of weavers, women who on average only speak Quechua and, like their neighbors, weave wonders such as llicllas, shawls, ponchos, bags, blankets, of a fineness than natural fiber (from sheep or alpaca) can give the texture of a silk to all your textile fabrics.
It is very important to also know that obtaining their supplies to give color and life to their fabrics are obtained from plants in the area that provide the precise colors for their crafts, their designs in each craft have a unique meaning in itself.
Cusco has another option for experiential tourism, Raqchi, which is another alternative for your experiential tourism in Cusco.
Trekking in the Sacred Valley
The Inca Trail is considered the best trek in South America. It is a 43-kilometer route through ancient Inca trails to Machu Picchu. The duration of the tour is 4 days and 3 nights. Tourists have the opportunity to appreciate the scenic beauty with Inca archaeological sites including the Wonder of the World.
However, Machu Picchu is not the only archaeological site that you will see on the Inca Trail. On the tour you will also appreciate the ruins of Llactapata, the archaeological site of Runkurakay, Saycamarca, Phuyupatamarca and Wiñaywayna.
Some incredible treks in the sacred valley include: 4 day Inca Trail Tour, 2 day Inca Trail, Machu Picchu 3 day hike, 2 day Inca Trail with camping, One day Inca Trail.
