- Urubamba River
The Urubamba River ("Rio Urumamba") is a river in
Peru . A partially navigable headwater of theAmazon River , it rises in theAndes to the south-east of Cuzco near thePuno Region border, where it is called the Vilcanota River ("Rio Vilcanota"). In theSacred Valley , betweenPísac andOllantaytambo , it is also called the Wilcamayu (sacred river). It flows north-north-west for 724 kilometers before coalescing with the lowerApurímac River to form theUcayali River .The Urubamba is divided into Upper Urubamba and Lower Urubamba , the dividing feature being the
Pongo de Mainique , an infamouswhitewater canyon .John Walter Gregory , the British geologist, drowned in the river onJune 2 ,1932 while on a geological expedition to the Andes.Upper Urubamba
The Upper Urubamba ("Alto Urubamba") valley features a high population and extensive irrigation works. A number of ruins of the
Inca Empire lie in the valley, including the Incan city ofMachu Picchu .Lower Urubamba
The Lower Urubamba ("Bajo Urubamba") is relatively undeveloped and features a significant indigenous population consisting of the Campa tribes, principally the
Machiguenga (Matsigenka) andAshaninka . The economy is based on forestry and the nearbyCamisea Gas Project . The main settlement in the region is the town of Sepahua.ee also
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Urubamba Valley
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