Salt pans, Mountains & Ruins

Introduction
Cusco Peru
This 5-day riding holiday is a great option for people who wish to learn more about the Incas, while riding through beautiful landscapes.

During this tour, you will visit the beautiful Salinas de Maras complex as well as the incredible site of Moray. Along the way, you will also learn more about local communities and visit a pre-Inca cemetery as well as a surprising rock forest.
Finally, the ride ends with a beautiful night near the charming Huaypo lagoon.

Accomodation

Accommodations
This is a progressive ride where nights are spent in different locations.

Description
You will be accommodated in small hotels and lodges. Please, note that facilities are usually shared.

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Guesthouse in Misminay
Night 2 & 3: Lodge in Compone
Night 4: Lodge in Huaypo lagoon



Guesthouse in Misminay
You will be accommodated in a simple but comfortable private rooms.



Lodge in Compone
You will sleep in wooden cabins close to a forest, at the border of the village. Rooms are usually private but might have to be shared.

Lodge in Huaypo lagoon
These charming domes have great views over the lagoon. Usually, each dome has one bedroom and one bathroom.

Casa Andina Hotel in Cusco (optional extra night)
This charming hotel is ideally located in the heart of Cusco. It offers 93 comfortable and elegantly decorated rooms, each equipped with a safety box, heating, coffee kit, TV, free Wi-Fi access and a private bathroom with hairdryer. Check-in starts at noon.

Casa Andina Hotel in Urubamba (optional extra night)
This beautiful hotel located in the Sacred Valley provides rooms that feature cable TV, heating, ensuite bathroom and free Wi-Fi access. The hotel has a small garden where guest can relax in the evening.

Room Occupancy
In case we are unable to find you a roommate, a single supplement fee might apply. Please, note that accommodation for single travelers are not guaranteed at all locations.



Meals
All meals are included in your package from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on the last day.

All your meals are prepared by our cook who follows along the tour with our support vehicle (transporting suitcases).
The food served features Peruvian and international cuisine.

The meals are served buffet style so everyone can choose what they want to eat.

Plenty of drinking water will be provided during the rides.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to most dietary restrictions with advanced notice.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


For the protection of all participants, the ride leader reserves the right to prevent anyone from riding who displays insufficient ability, or whose behavior endangers the safety of other riders, themselves, or the horses. No refund will be made to a participant who is rejected for any such reason, or who is unwilling or unable to complete a tour.

Horses
We have 20 Peruvian Paso horses which are known for their smooth gait and elegance. We have horses with different temperaments that can cater to all levels of rider.
The Peruvian Paso Horse transmits its unique smooth gait to its purebred foals. No artificial devices or special training aids are necessary to enable the horse to perform the “Paso llano”, that provides a ride of incomparable smoothness.

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Day 1: Ride to Misminay
This ride begins at a height of 2,828 meters above sea level in the town of Paucarbamba, where our hacienda is located. Upon your arrival at our facilities (around 9 am), you will receive instruction and recommendations before the tour.
We should start riding at about 10 am. We will cross a wooden suspension bridge and continue along the valley floor on the right bank of the Vilcanota River. The eucalyptus trees that grow on the banks of the river will be our witnesses until we reach one of the largest Inka cemeteries of its time, located on the cliffs of the town of Yanahuara.
Arriving at the Tarabamba sector, we will cross a second suspension bridge, where there is a control booth to enter the Salinas de Maras. An steep trail will guide us from the valley floor to the salt flats, located halfway up the hill. Once at the Salinas, we dismount our horses and go on a guided walking tour. After our guided visit, we will get back in the saddle and continue climbing the hill until we reach our lunch point in Maras (around 1:30 pm).
After lunch, we will continue riding through fields of barley, oats and other Andean products until we reach the rural community of Misminay, 3,500 meters above sea level. There, we will be welcomed by the locals with dances, songs and Andean music.
Meals included: Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Misminay

Day 2: Misminay to Compone
After breakfast at about 9 am, we will have a farewell ceremony by the local people, amid songs and ancient dances. We are back in the saddle at 10 am, making our way to a viewpoint from where we can appreciate the most important Inka agricultural laboratory of its time “Moray” and the wonderful view of the Sacred Valley with its snowy peaks.
The first part of today’s ride will be downhill for about twenty minutes, and after crossing a small ravine, we will start climbing the next summit again in the middle of a dense eucalyptus forest and through potato fields.
We stop for lunch (around 1 pm) in an open field surrounded by an eucalyptus forest.
After reaching the highest point of this day’s ride, we will begin a ride down to the community of Chaquepay and its peculiar and picturesque surroundings. Huarocondo, an important town center, shows a great influence of Spanish culture with its cathedral church built at the beginning of the 16th century.
Our destination for the day is the town of Compone, where we will sleep in a lodge.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Lodge in Compone

Day 3: Mountain Ride
We start the day by an uphill ride to the summit of one of the Apus (mountain deity) in the area. At the top, we will see the most important pre-Inka cemetery of the region, where Killke pottery remains scattered throughout. The panoramic view from this place is indescribable since we enjoy a panoramic view over the entire Pampa de Anta. After visiting this funerary area, we will go to the Yuraq Qaqa rocks. These rock formations have a volcanic origin.
After lunch, we go for a small walk in the mountain. Then, it is time to get back to the saddle and ride back to Compone, where we spend a second night.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Lodge in Compone

Day 4: Compone to Huaypo lagoon
After enjoying a restful night, we cross the Pampa de Anta plain, towards the towns of Markjo and Huertas with its beautiful eucalyptus forest. We stop in Huertas for our midday break.
Shortly after resuming our riding journey, we will arrive at Huayllaqocha, which we will pass on our way to the charming Huaypo lagoon. We will arrive at the lagoon viewpoint for 4 pm. From here, we will listen to the song of the resident birds of its dense shore of totorales.
We spend the night in a lodge, enjoying a wonderful view of the Huaypo lagoon.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Lodge in Huaypo lagoon

Day 5: Last Ride
We start our last day of riding at about 10am. Today, we ride back to the Sacred Valley. We will ride along a steep path, until we pass the side of a monumental Catholic infrastructure that dates back to the 16th century (Church of Ttiobamba). We will stop for lunch in the city of Maras, with its colonial streets adorned by stone gates. Each stone portal is adorned with heraldic shields from colonial times.
Along the last section of the ride, we will move through fields, before descending towards the valley floor. We expect to arrive back at the hacienda for 5:30pm.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Note: If you wish to extend your stay in Peru, we suggest to sign up for the Machu Picchu Mountain Lodges Ride.

Rates and Dates for Salt pans, Mountains & Ruins

Dates Note: It is possible to arrange tours for private groups on request (private group fee applies)

Other Info
Meeting: Urubamba
Airport: Cusco
Transfer: Cusco or Sacred Valley

Climate:
                                                Cusco area