Pisac, Cusco: A Spiritual Hub Full Of Magic In The Sacred Valley

Artisan and farmers’ markets

If you love crystals, artisan clothing and accessories, artwork, fresh produce, and street food, then Pisac is calling you. Pisac offers all of the beauties of shopping with authenticity and love. On any given day, you will find the streets lined with vendors, artists, and culinary enthusiasts. The free-spirited energy attracts passionate people to the Pisac streets making finding gifts to bring home a beautiful experience. Walking on the streets near the main plaza, one will find little shops full of artwork, crystals, and musical instruments, like the tambor, a beautiful handmade drum that is often used in many spiritual ceremonies. In these shops, the crafters will often do custom work, personalizing their crafts. Many of these shops are owned by talented artists who enjoy sharing their passion and will answer many questions about the origin of their materials or inspiration for their work. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the normally bustling street markets grow as more artisans come to town to sell their handmade treasures.

Aside from the art community, there is an abundance of markets in the farming and food community as well. Every Sunday, the farmers come to the main square to sell their delicious fruits and vegetables, many of which are completely organic! In the square, many bakers and chefs make treats and walk around selling their specialties. There is also an abundance of chocla, an Andean large corn specialty, available for sale on the outskirts of the market. If your visit to Pisac does not fall on a Sunday, you also have the opportunity to buy fresh produce in the Pisac Mercado every day!

Delicious food and sweet treats

Aside from the farmers’ markets, Pisac is swimming with delicious bakeries, restaurants, and cafes. Visit Masa Madre, a beautiful bakery, for some amazing baked sweets and bread. Many of the products in the bakery do not contain animal products. They have a variety of sourdough breads and ciabattas, including a curry bread that uses turmeric found locally in the Peruvian jungle. On the sweet side, the brownies are made with rich, delicious cacao. They also have fantastic brioche filled with chocolate, a personal favorite of mine.

If your palate is craving savory, there are two awesome places to eat with affordable menus of the day. The first is an amazing vegetarian kitchen, the Pisac Mercado. Located in the back left corner of the market, you can grab a seat and indulge in a locally prepared plate of Peruvian vegetarian food. For only 5 PEN (~1.50 USD), they serve a soup and a plate of four to five dishes, many traditional to Peru. The food has a great flavor for a wonderful price.

A few blocks away you will find Hampi Mikhuna, a vegan restaurant, bakery, and health food store with beautiful energy. The owner has a passion for vegan cooking and sources his ingredients consciously, buying from local organic farmers. At Hampi Mikhuna, for 7 PEN (~2 USD), you will also get a soup and a plate of food made with love. They also make pastries if you are craving a sweet treat after your meal. Many of the delicious ingredients are for sale at the little store counter of the restaurant.

If you are craving sweet and savory, head to Spices, a restaurant/bakery whose menu is integrated with dishes from all around the world. Order a la carte or from their menu specials. A menu special costs anywhere between 18 and 26 PEN (5.50 and 8 USD), and includes an appetizer, a meal, and one of their amazing desserts. The eclectic menu includes a variety of bruschetta on homemade bread, a vegan veggie burger served on a New York style bagel, a Thai curry, sweet breads, and many more. You can also order juices, coffee, and tea and take a seat on the patio that looks over onto a flourishing garden. The combination of flavorful food, a magnificent view and Wi-Fi make Spices a great place to do some work or catch up on emails.

Community environment

Pisac has a homey type of feel with amazing events that create a strong community. Compacted with passionate healers, there are so many people sharing so many modalities. Whether you are looking for meditation, kirtan, circles, or more, Pisac has it all. In Pisac, beautiful souls are sharing free meditation many times a week. If you prefer mornings, Stephanie, an amazing woman from California, offers free morning mediations five times per week across from Melissa Wasi. Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7 AM and 10 AM, and Sundays at 10 AM, go deep with Stephanie’s guided or heart opening meditations. If you prefer to meditate in the afternoon, Gosia, an angel from Poland, offers free meditation at a little house right next door to her hotel, La Chakana.

If you enjoy singing mantras, Pisac also has opportunities for kirtan with cacao. Every Thursday afternoon from 3PM–5PM, Nidra Wasi hosts kirtan. At this lovely yoga studio/hotel, you will get to sing with the community. Before kirtan, Nidra Wasi also hosts a local farmer and artisan market starting at 10 AM. If you are looking for local veggies or handmade jewelry, arrive a bit early and explore the vendors laid out on the spacious grass courtyard. On the other side of town, from 3 PM–5 PM there is donation based kirtan at Maha Templo. Before heading that way, confirm it is happening in the town, because some weeks they cannot hold kirtan depending on who is available to lead.

In Pisac, there are also opportunities to sweat out what no longer serves you. Every Wednesday and Saturday from 4 PM to 7 PM, Melissa Wasi hosts a sweat lodge in their adobe sauna for 20 PEN (~6 USD). They have a fire, tea, and cold showers in addition to the healing lodge. The sweat lodge is informal. There is no talking in the lodge, but plenty of mantras. The lodge is a wonderful way to release tension and emotions.

Lastly, there is an amazing event every Sunday called Sacred Sushi. Brian, a resident of Taray, opens a pop up restaurant where you take off your shoes, sit on comfy cushions in a vibrant tapestry covered space next door to Apu Organics. The menu includes two different types of vegan sushi rolls, a delightful curry, a quinoa bowl, and spring rolls. The spring rolls come with an amazing peanut sauce which can also be ordered as an add on with sushi. Aside from the incredible entrees, Brian serves cacao peanut butter and almond cups which have a ceremonial size serving of cacao, making Sundays in Pisac a true heart opener. Brian also opens a mini shop that sells plenty of organic snacks and ingredients for cooking and baking that may be difficult to find otherwise.

Nature and ruins

Besides an incredible town center and community, another amazing aspect of Pisac is its proximity to nature and serenity. There are plenty of places to explore and be surrounded by the eucalyptus trees. Next to the Hotel Royal Inka, you will find a path that travels along the river. This path leads to perfect spots to meditate, connect with nature, and have fire ceremonies. The river is peaceful, beautiful, and healing.

The energy of the mountains and Sacred Valley add to the peacefulness of Pisac. The mountains offer plenty of hikes and scenic views no matter where you go. At night, the dry mountain air provides a light show of stars in the dark sky. Pisac is far enough away from Cusco and does not have much light pollution making it a beautiful place to watch for shooting stars. Looking up at the night sky in the Sacred Valley, it is said that one will witness many pellicular phenomena.

In addition to all of the gems surrounding the town, Pisac is also home to breathtaking Incan ruins. Walking around the ruins, one will find they are somewhat like a maze. They are spread out and have multiple different structures including beautiful temples. The ruins are only 25 minutes from town in a tuk tuk or a taxi. The entrance fee is 70 PEN (~25 USD) with a partial tourism boleto, or is included with the tourism boleto that allows entrance into many of the ruins and museums in the Sacred Valley for 130 PEN (~46 USD).

Please note: To buy a tourism boleto, you can go to the COSITUC office in Cusco located at 103 Avenida del Sol in the centre of Cusco, open Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.