Experiential Tourism - Patacancha
The
community of Patacancha is located 88km from Cusco, about 2:00 by car, in the
district of Ollantaytambo, where it is not uncommon to meet people from it.
Paired with the town of Willoq, it is an ethnic group
that has kept alive Inca traditions. Going to meet them is an essential
experience to get closer to the lifelong Andean way of life, rich in
multi-millennial traditions.
One of the specialties of Patacancha villagers is
their Textile Art, a heritage treasure whose their own clothes immediately show
up very catchy colors in red and black tones. The register, of high quality, is
varied (covers or lliclla, ponchos,
scarves, bags ...), and the visitors can find unique value in these jewels
smelling authenticity, more than in the products sold in some chains clothing
and markets of Cusco or Lima. This art is a tradition that is transmitted from
mother to daughter, from generation to generation. Regarding the colors, they
draw their ink from local plants, and each motif that comes alive in the loom
of the artist holds a symbolic meaning that has lasted for centuries or even
millennia (the oldest textiles discovered in Peru in the Huaca Prieta are 6000
years old) and whose iconographic origin of the bestiary and geometric patterns
finds its descent in the rock paintings of the subcontinent, deeply imprints of
shamanism.
To live an experience like this is also to involve the poorest communities in the benefits of tourism. Like other indigenous communities in Peru, villagers realized that their skills are an asset that needed to be exhibited in order to enhance and keep them alive.
The village cooperative bringing together some thirty
families will welcome you depending on whether you travel in a group or as a
couple.
The proposed activities are:
→ Homestay: Spend a night with a family from Patacancha
→ Demonstration of textile art
→ Demonstration of local farming
Possibility to have breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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