Thinking about moving to Calca? If you want to experience a more authentic side of the Sacred Valley, with plenty of everyday services, beautiful plazas, mountain scenery and relatively few tourists, Calca could be just what you’re looking for.
By Chere Di Boscio
If you ask me, Calca is one of the Sacred Valley’s more understated towns.
While places such as Pisac and Ollantaytambo attract large numbers of international visitors, Calca remains primarily a working Peruvian town. People come here to shop, work, go to school, visit the market, meet friends at cafes and take care of everyday business.
For an expat, that can be a very appealing thing.
Calca doesn’t have the large international community or abundance of tourist-oriented businesses you’ll find in some other parts of the valley. But it has something else: a genuine sense of everyday Peruvian life.
And for those who want to integrate into the local community rather than live in an expat bubble, that can be a major advantage.
What is Calca like?
Calca sits roughly in the middle of the Sacred Valley, between Pisac and Urubamba. The town itself is compact and relatively easy to navigate on foot, with shops, markets, restaurants, banks and other businesses serving the local population.
If you ask me, one of its prettiest features is its two adjoining plazas. Both are leafy and attractive, with flowers, mature trees and sculptures, and they’re separated by the town’s colonial church and market. It’s a pleasant place to sit and watch everyday life unfold!
And the best part? Unlike the main squares in some of the Sacred Valley’s more tourist-oriented towns, Calca’s plazas are primarily used by local residents rather than being designed around tourism. I particularly love the popcorn vendors, the toy car rental for kids, and the many food vendors that crowd the square at night.
Living in an authentic Sacred Valley town
If you’re looking for a town where you’ll encounter relatively few organised tourist groups and where most businesses are serving local residents, Calca is worth considering.
But you should know that speaking Spanish is much more important here than it is in heavily tourist-oriented parts of the valley. That can be a challenge if your Spanish isn’t very good—but it’s also an opportunity! Living in Calca can encourage you to use Spanish every day, interact with your neighbours and become more involved in the local community. For some expats, that’s exactly what they’re looking for. For others, the lack of English-speaking services and smaller international community may make Calca feel limiting.
The Calca market
The local market is one of the town’s most useful features.
There are markets and shops operating throughout the week, while Sunday is traditionally the main market day, when farmers and vendors from surrounding communities come into town.
You’ll find fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, cheese, meat and other locally produced goods.
The market is primarily for local residents rather than tourists, which means it’s a particularly good place to get a glimpse of ordinary life in the Sacred Valley.
It’s also a practical reason to live here: you don’t have to travel to another town every time you need basic groceries or household necessities.
Shops and everyday services
This is one of Calca’s biggest advantages.
Although it’s smaller than Urubamba, Calca has a surprisingly broad range of businesses and services for a town of its size.
You’ll find things such as:
- Banks and ATMs
- Pharmacies
- Grocery stores
- Market stalls
- Hardware stores
- Restaurants and cafés
- Professional and legal services
- Medical and dental services
- Schools
- Local government services
- Transportation connections
For major shopping trips, specialist healthcare or other specialised services, you may still need to travel to Cusco or Urubamba.
But for everyday life, Calca is considerably more self-contained than its small size might suggest.
Getting around
Calca has good transportation connections with other parts of the Sacred Valley.
Colectivos, buses and taxis connect the town with Pisac, Urubamba and other communities, while transportation to Cusco is also readily available.
The journey to Cusco takes roughly an hour, depending on traffic and your destination within the city.
You can also travel west towards Urubamba and Ollantaytambo or east towards Pisac.
This central location is one reason Calca can work well as a base for people who want to explore different parts of the valley without actually living in one of the busiest tourist centres.
If you live in the town itself, you may not need a car for everyday errands.
Hiking and outdoor activities
One of the best things about Calca is how quickly you can get from the town centre into the countryside.
The surrounding mountains provide plenty of opportunities for walking, hiking and exploring, with trails leading into the hills and communities around the valley. There are also archaeological sites, agricultural areas and spectacular mountain scenery in the wider Calca area.
For someone who enjoys getting outdoors but doesn’t necessarily want to live in a remote mountain community, this can be an excellent combination. You can have a coffee in the plaza in the morning and be walking through the countryside not long afterwards.
Restaurants and cafés in Calca
Calca’s restaurant scene is much smaller than Urubamba’s or Pisac’s, but it has grown a bit as more people have moved into the area.
You’ll find local Peruvian restaurants alongside cafés and a small selection of international options, but don’t expect the extensive vegan, wellness and international food scene of Pisac.
Instead, Calca’s food scene is more closely connected to the local population, and that can be part of the fun of living here.
If you’re looking for a particular international ingredient or a more extensive choice of restaurants, Urubamba and Pisac aren’t far away.
The expat community
Calca has an international community, but it’s smaller than those in Pisac, Urubamba and Huaran/Arin, which is both a pro and a con.
If you want lots of opportunities to meet foreigners, attend expat events and find English-speaking services, you may find Calca too quiet.
But if you specifically want to avoid living in an expat bubble, the smaller international community can be a significant advantage.
You’ll be more immersed in local life simply because there isn’t such a large parallel expat world around you.
For newcomers, it can take a little more effort to build a social network—but that network may ultimately be more diverse.
Housing in Calca
Calca is worth investigating if you’re looking for housing that may be less expensive than some of the Sacred Valley’s most sought-after tourist areas.
Prices vary considerably depending on whether you’re looking for a simple home or apartment in town, or a larger property outside the centre with gardens and mountain views.
The wider Calca area includes numerous small communities and rural properties, so don’t limit your search to the town itself.
As always, rent before buying if possible.
Spend some time in the neighbourhood you’re considering, and visit at different times of day.
A quiet street at 10 a.m. can sound very different during an evening fiesta.
Noise and fiestas
This is one of the more important considerations when deciding whether Calca is right for you.
Fiestas are an important part of Peruvian life, and Calca has its share of celebrations, processions, music and other events.
For many people, this is one of the things that makes living here enjoyable.
For others—particularly anyone who values absolute quiet—it can occasionally be frustrating.
Music and celebrations can continue late into the night, and noise levels can be considerably higher during important local festivities.
If you’re sensitive to noise, ask prospective neighbours about the area’s typical activity and avoid assuming that every part of town is equally quiet.
Everyday life in Calca
One of Calca’s biggest advantages is that it’s a town built for residents rather than tourists.
You can get through much of your daily routine without leaving town. There are shops, banks, pharmacies, professional services, markets, restaurants and other businesses serving the local population.
That can make life surprisingly convenient.
You may not have the huge choice of international products or restaurants that you’ll find in Cusco, but you also don’t have to navigate a town whose businesses are primarily aimed at visitors.
For many expats, that balance is appealing.
Healthcare and practical services
Calca has basic medical and dental services, pharmacies and other everyday facilities.
For specialist healthcare, however, most expats will want to know how to access services in Cusco or larger medical centres elsewhere in the Sacred Valley.
This is true of most smaller Sacred Valley communities.
One advantage of Calca is that you’re not particularly isolated. Regular transportation makes it possible to reach larger towns when necessary.
What is the weather like in Calca?
Calca sits at roughly 2,900 metres above sea level, so you’ll experience the typical high-altitude climate of the Sacred Valley: sunny days can feel surprisingly warm, while mornings, evenings and shaded areas can be chilly.
The dry season generally brings clearer skies and plenty of sunshine, while the rainy season can bring heavy afternoon showers.
One of the pleasures of living in Calca is being surrounded by the mountains and greenery of the valley, although the weather can change quickly.
As with anywhere in the Andes, you’ll want layers rather than relying on one type of clothing throughout the day.
Is Calca a good place for families?
Calca can be a good option for families who want to experience everyday Peruvian life rather than living in a heavily tourist-oriented part of the Sacred Valley.
There are local schools and everyday services, while the surrounding countryside provides plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities.
Families considering a move should, of course, investigate schooling carefully and consider how often they’ll need to travel to Cusco or Urubamba for specialist services.
For children who enjoy being outdoors and becoming immersed in another culture, the area has plenty to offer.
Is Calca a good place for retirees?
Calca could appeal to retirees who value peace, community and convenience over nightlife and a large international social scene. The town is small enough to get around relatively easily, but large enough to provide many of the services you’ll need in everyday life.
You’re also within reach of the rest of the Sacred Valley, while Cusco is accessible by road when you need the city’s larger range of services, which include a higher number of hospitals and medical services than you’ll find in other towns like Pisac or Huaran.
The biggest question is whether you’ll be happy with the smaller expat community.
If you want to have lots of foreign friends and regular international events on your doorstep, Pisac or Urubamba may be a better fit. But if you want to immerse yourself more deeply in local life, Calca may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Pros of living in Calca
- Beautiful, leafy plazas
- Authentic Peruvian town with relatively little tourism
- Good local market
- Plenty of everyday shops and services
- Banks, pharmacies and professional services
- Restaurants and cafés
- Central location in the Sacred Valley
- Good transportation connections
- Easy access to Pisac and Urubamba
- Hiking and outdoor activities nearby
- More opportunities to practise Spanish and integrate into local life
- Generally less touristy than Pisac or Ollantaytambo
- Potentially better value housing than some of the valley’s more popular expat areas
- Several hospitals
Cons of living in Calca
- Smaller expat community than Pisac or Urubamba
- Fewer international restaurants and services
- Less nightlife and entertainment
- Some specialist services require a trip to Cusco or Urubamba
- Local fiestas can mean considerable noise
- The town is less polished and tourist-oriented than some neighbouring destinations
- You’ll need more Spanish for everyday life
- Some surrounding areas are quite rural and may require a car or regular taxis
Is Calca a good place to live?
Calca isn’t trying to be Pisac, and that’s precisely why some people love it.
It’s less polished, less touristy and less international. But it’s also more closely connected to everyday Peruvian life.
You can sit beneath the trees in one of the town’s beautiful plazas, shop for vegetables at the local market, grab lunch at a neighbourhood restaurant and be hiking in the surrounding mountains before the day is over.
And because Calca sits between Pisac and Urubamba, you don’t have to give up access to the rest of the Sacred Valley. The larger towns—and everything they offer—are still within easy reach.
For someone looking for a genuine local experience, reasonable convenience and a quieter alternative to the valley’s better-known expat centres, Calca could be an excellent choice.
It may not have the largest international community or the longest list of things to do.
But perhaps that’s the point.
If you want to live in the Sacred Valley rather than simply live in a place designed for people visiting it, Calca is one of the towns you should put on your list.
