Between Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Urubamba river opens a fertile valley that the Incas considered sacred. Here you will find terraced citadels like Pisac and Ollantaytambo, the circular terraces of Moray — an Inca agricultural laboratory — and the Maras salt pans, still worked by local families.
It is also the best place to start your trip: it is lower than Cusco (around 2,900 m), it has excellent hotels and it connects by train to Machu Picchu.