Yanatile

The Yanatile valley lies northeast of Cusco, where rivers descend from the Andes into the humid forest of the eastern slopes. Rain and mist gather along its steep mountainsides, and the valley’s warmer climate contrasts with the cold highlands above. Coca has long been cultivated in this part of the Andes, and local traditions connect its planting with offerings to the earth and the mountain spirits. The river belongs to a network of waterways flowing toward the Amazon basin.