Behind Ollantaytambo a rough road climbs a side valley into country most visitors never see: terraced fields giving way to bunch grass, alpaca herds, and villages at 3,700 m where Quechua is the first language and Spanish the second.
Patacancha and its neighbouring hamlets are known for textiles. Women here still spin, dye and weave on backstrap looms exactly as their grandmothers did, using cochineal, indigo and q’olle flowers for colour. Several community-run cooperatives welcome visitors, and the money goes to the weavers rather than a middleman. Halfway up the valley the Inca ruins of Pumamarca sit on a spur above the river, reachable on a fine half-day walk from town.
Top things to do at Patacancha Valley
Visit a weaving cooperative
A demonstration runs through the whole process — shearing, spinning, plant dyeing, weaving — and the textiles for sale are the real thing rather than acrylic market copies.
Hike to Pumamarca
A three-hour walk up the Patacancha river from Ollantaytambo reaches a compact Inca settlement with terraces, storerooms and almost no other visitors.
Meet the herds
Above the last village the valley opens into alpaca and llama pasture — the animals whose wool the whole textile economy depends on.
Time it for a market day
Ask locally: the small communities hold irregular markets where the trade is still largely between villages rather than for tourists.
How to get to Patacancha Valley
- By car or taxi: 45 to 60 minutes up a rough unpaved road from Ollantaytambo.
- On foot: the Pumamarca trail leaves from the top of town and follows the river — about 3 hours up, 2 down.
- By tour: private Ollantaytambo guides run half-day cultural trips that combine a weaving visit with the ruins.
Insider tips
- It is nearly 1,000 m higher than Ollantaytambo. Acclimatise first, and expect it to be cold and windy.
- Bring cash in small notes — the cooperatives sell direct and there is nowhere to change money.
- Ask before photographing people. A purchase or a small tip is the normal courtesy.
- The road is genuinely rough. In the wet season it wants a 4x4 or a local driver who knows it.
Best tours & tickets for Patacancha Valley
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Patacancha Valley without organising a thing:
