The
Sacred Valley of the Incas or the
Urubamba Valley is a
valley in the
Andes of
Peru, close to the
Inca capital of
Cusco and the ancient city of
Machu Picchu. It is located in the present-day Peruvian region of Cusco. In colonial documents it is referred to as the "Valley of Yucay." According to recent research it encompasses the heartland of the Inca Empire.