Above the village of Pisac the Incas cut terraces so fine and so curved that the whole mountainside looks like a seashell. They run up the slope in great sweeping arcs, still green with crops, and above them on a spur of rock stands the citadel, a scatter of stone temples, baths and watchtowers that guarded the entrance to the Sacred Valley from the east. The village itself lies by the Urubamba river, at just under three thousand metres, thirty-odd kilometres from Cusco. Calca, the next town of any size, is another fifteen along the valley.
Pisac is best known for its market, which sprawls through the plaza and surrounding streets on Sundays, with smaller versions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Villagers from the high hamlets come down in their woven finery to sell potatoes, maize in a dozen colours, herbs and alpaca wool, and a certain amount of tourist craft squeezes in among it. On the corner of the plaza, a clay oven sells empanadas, big and hot and crisp, and they are an excellent reason to stop. Go early, because by ten the coach parties arrive and the street fills with elbows.
For a rider the road to Pisac is a pleasure. From Cusco you climb over a pass and drop into the valley through a sweep of eucalyptus and terraced fields, and the surface is mostly good tarmac, with potholes where the road crosses streams. Past the village the road follows the river toward Calca, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, a flat, fast run between steep valley walls. Watch for trucks, buses, dogs and the occasional herd of sheep, and be ready for sudden afternoon rain between December and March. The dry season, from May to September, brings dust, clear sky and cold nights.
There is fuel along the main valley road and in Cusco, but do not assume the station you see is open or has stock, and fill the tank when you can. The air here is thin, and a day on the road can leave you sunburned and winded, so carry water and wear sunscreen. In the evening, as the light turns the terraces gold and the church bell rings, Pisac feels more like a village than a tourist stop.