Learn more about a very important aspect of Andean culture, its spirituality, on a full-day tour from Cusco to a local indigenous community just 1.5 hour from Cusco. Participate in various local ceremonies and feel the energy and the inspiring atmosphere of some of the sacred places where locals practice their spirituality and become one with their beautiful natural surroundings. Enjoy an authentic and responsible intercultural exchange with a local family while sharing lunch at their house..
Pick-up from Cusco hotels.
7am (To be confirmed for specific day of tour)
Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco around 7 am (to be confirmed) and together you’ll start heading towards the community of Pongobamba, about 1 hour and a half driving from Cusco. Here your guide will tell you more about Andean spirituality and the syncretic forms of religion, a mix of indigenous and catholic religious aspects, that are typical in contemporary Andean culture. The guide will also talk about the “Cusi Kawsay” Association and the Community of Pongobamba where the locals will receive you with a welcoming ceremony.
Before lunch, you’ll visit the town’s lookout (it will take 40 minutes approximately to get there) where your guide will explain to you about the Apus that surround the community. You’ll have some time to relax, truly appreciate this breathtaking scenery, and feel the energy of this spiritual place where people come for harmony between body and soul.
Here you will be able to see the Piuray sacred lagoon, where you’ll have some time to relax or even meditate if you want. The local guide and other community members will teach you more about the Andean syncretic religion and you’ll have the opportunity to know your future in a ‘coca leaves reading‘ or witness an offering to Mother Earth, Pachamama, depending on the season.
You’ll head back down to visit the Andean Chapel of the community and have a local lunch at the house of one of the families of the community. After lunch, you will have a brief demonstration of their traditional textile works and the residents will send you on your way with a special goodbye ceremony.
Your visit benefits the local community in different ways. First of all, it provides an income to the community as a whole and as such benefits all its members. Secondly, your visit supports the local projects of the NGO Centro Bartolomé de las Casas, which works with many rural communities in the Cusco and Sacred Valley area.
In addition to financial benefits, the interest and attention of people who came from all over the world increases the pride of the local people in their communities. The admiration and interest of visitors from across the world reinforces their engagement.
