The Urubamba River

It is one of the main rivers of Peru, its name in Quechua is "Urupampa" which means: "Plateau of spiders". The Urubamba River is part of the Amazon basin and is also a source of the Ucayali River. For the Incas it was known as Willkamayu, and it was one of the most important and sacred rivers of the time of the Incas.

El Rio Urubamba

It is born in the Vilcanota knot at 4314 meters above sea level in the department of Cusco in the southeastern part of Peru.

Things you should know about the Urubamba River

  • In the route that makes for much of the department of Cusco takes the name of "Rio Vilcanota", when it reaches the city and Urubamba takes the name of "Rio Urubamba".
  • The river on the south side of Pongo is known as the Upper Urubamba, while on the north side of Pongo de Mainique flows into the Ucayali River and is known as the Lower Urubamba.
  • The Urubamba River passes through the southern valley of the department of Cusco, runs through the Archaeological Complex of Raqchi, the town of Andahuaylillas 36 kilometers from the city of Cusco.
  • Its waters pass through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Pisaq, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo, and then passes at the foot of the mountain where the wonderful Machu Picchu is located.
  • When riverbanks were implanted in the Urubamba river, conservatives found a carved piece and only 35% of the whole lytic body can be observed. It is 2 meters and a half long by 1 meter wide and weighs about 20 tons.
    • El Rio Urubamba

    The Urubamba River and Machu Picchu

    The waters of the Urubamba River run around the mountain where the Archaeological Complex of Machu Picchu is located, which runs through the valley from the town of Ollantaytambo to the town of Aguas Calientes, which is at the foot of the mountain where Machu Picchu is located. The river surrounds the Huaynapicchu mountain in a circular way, giving rise to a unique and unforgettable landscape for thousands of travelers who visit daily the vestiges of the city of the Incas. After passing through Machu Picchu, the Urubamba River passes through the province of La Convención, where it enters the Pongo de Mainique and from where it is known as "Bajo Urubamba", it enters the Amazon rainforest reaching the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers, end in the Atlantic Ocean.

    El Rio Urubamba

    Flora and fauna near the Urubamba River

  • In the turbulent waters of the river there lives a small bird named aquatic blackbird that has learned to swim under these waters in search of food.
  • In the forests around Machu Picchu there are almost three hundred birds such as condors, tiny tanagers of beautiful colors and hummingbirds.
  • There are 14 different species of flowers, from the smallest as an insect to those that exceed the size of a bird.
  • The forest is home to the Andean bear and the "sachacabra" deer, which is about the size of a Pekinese dog.
  • The pisonay trees are a natural sample of lianas and bromeliads that compete for each space of the branches.

    • The best adventure sport ideal for this river

    The best experience you can get from rafting on the Urubamba River. You can practice rafting in levels I, II, III, even in the rainy season when the river is loaded you can practice level IV and V rafting. The levels of the river flow cause the sports boats to slide into large speeds, it should be noted that levels from III are considered risk.

    The descent of the waters of the Urubamba River are the best for the Sacred Valley of the Incas, this valley has a temperate climate. The part where you can sail and perform different sports such as rafting or canoeing covers about 2 kilometers that descend from 2700 meters above sea level.

    El Rio Urubamba

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