Urubamba is the main town of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a wide, fertile trough at about 2,900 metres, with the Vilcanota river running through it and snow peaks standing along the skyline. It is a place of farms, orchards and fields of maize, and the maize is a speciality, the big white-kernelled variety that is exported around the world and eaten in Cusco as a snack with cheese. The valley was the heartland of the Inca empire, with its fertile soil and mild climate, and terraces still climb the slopes, built to grow crops at different altitudes. The town sits in the middle of this, a busy, practical place of a few thousand people, with a market, a plaza and a lot of good restaurants.
The ride through the valley is a pleasure. The road follows the river between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, with long, smooth bends, a good surface and a sense of open space. The views of the snow-capped Chicón, a peak over five thousand metres, are constant, and the light on the fields is warm and golden in the afternoon. Traffic can be heavy, with buses, taxis and trucks, and the road passes through villages with speed bumps and markets, so slow down. The rainy season, from December to March, brings landslides and mud, and the dry season, from May to September, is the best time for riding.
Around Urubamba are some of the great Inca sites. The terraces of Moray, a set of circular terraces that may have been an agricultural laboratory, and the salt pans of Maras, where salt has been harvested from a mountain spring for centuries, are a short ride from the town. Ollantaytambo, at the head of the valley, has a fortress and a living Inca town, and it is the station for the train to Machu Picchu. You will need more than a day to do justice to the valley.
Urubamba has several fuel stations, banks, shops and a wide choice of places to eat, from market stalls to smart restaurants, and it is the best place for services in the valley. Try chicha, a fermented maize drink, and a plate of cuy, if you are curious, or simpler dishes of trout and potatoes. Nights can be cold, so pack a warm layer, and the sun is strong, so wear sunscreen.