The Monument of the Cross hike, also known as the Mirador de Tananmarka is one of the best views in the city.
How do you hike up to the Monument of the Cross in Urubamba? Surely you have visited this amazing town in Peru’s Sacred Valley and thought how nice the view must be from up there.
You might also wonder if you can hike up to the Mirador de Tantanmarka in Urubamba. Thankfully you absolutely can and it’s truly the perfect hike!
It has just the right amount of difficulty where most anyone can do it but it is also a challenge to all skill levels and it is a great workout!
The hike to the cross in Urubamba is amazing and gives you incredible views of the entire area! It is not an easy hike and can take 30-60 minutes to the top!
It is enough to really challenge you and make you work for hopefully and amazing lunch or dinner back in town. If you need some food for after the hike see our Best Restaurants In Urubamba article here!
The path is very large and easy to navigate aside from how steep it can be. If you want a perfect workout and incredible views then definitely head to the top here.
A great way to do the hike is to start on the West entrance of the hike, which is mentioned further below, and then come down the main trailhead on the way down to enjoy lunch or dinner in town!
The hike from the Westside has a couple really cool views of the monument so if you have the opportunity, try to do that as you can see from the picture above.
How To Hike To the Monument Of The Cross in Urubamba
There are two ways to hike to the Mirador de Tantanmarka in Urubamba.
You can do the main more direct route from Palacio de Huayna Capac as your navigation point. There is also a way to hike it from the West by Hotel Case De Campe Valle Sagrado.
Hiking Mirador de Tantanmarka from downtown
For the main centrally located path, follow Av. Mariscal Castilla up to the Palacio and then take a left directly at the doors of the Palacio.
From there it’s about 2 minutes walking to the start of the trail. You will see this sign (pictured below) on a wall and a dirt path, take the right and start going up the little trail.
This isn’t the true start of the trail but it is a pretty walk alongside houses, farms and gardens until you reach the starting point.
You can’t really get lost as it’s a pretty easy trail to follow to the there where you’ll follow a little stream for most of the walk to the main trailhead.
The trail is to the right of the mountain so you’ll walk to the right of the mountain under some trees up until you get to the trailhead. You will even pass by some houses and pretty farms along the walk to the main trailhead.
As you can see from the trailhead sign you can’t miss where to start. From there you start your hard hike along switchbacks of a pretty open trail the whole way up.
Hiking To The Monument Of The Cross From The West side of Town
If you are on the West side of town you can start the hike from the West nearby Hotel Casa De Campe Valle Sagrado. It is a touch harder to find and the trail is less spacious but still a great hike!
Start at the Hotel Casa De Campe Valle Sagrado and find the little convenience store across from the Hotel. Then to the right of that, in between the store and the first house the trail begins, per the picture here below.
From there you will see arrows telling you which way to go and in the end you know you need to make your way towards the Cross so it is pretty tough to get lost.
The hike truly is the perfect length as it is a great workout but also not too long.
Bring water, maybe a snack just in case and dress in layers as surely you know the weather can change in an instant there.
If anyone has ever hikes camelback mountain in Scottsdale Arizona I’d say it’s slightly bigger than that but without the heat… although add in elevation.
Where to Stay In Urubamba
If you want to spoil yourself, as you should when visiting. You absolutely have to stay at Sol Y Luna. It is one of the nicest resorts I have ever seen in my life!
Not only that, they have an entire philanthropic side, which is more amazing then the stunning resort! They actually have built and entire school and foster home!
Read more about this amazing hotel here!
