Santa Teresa
Hot springs & coffee
The town of Santa Teresa is cute and has some lovely hot springs. If you want to take this route to avoid Ollantaytambo, consider spending a night in Santa Teresa and enjoying the hot springs in the evening, then going to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu in the morning.
Some of the best coffee of the Cusco region is grown near Santa Teresa. Ask around town and you’ll find coffee plantations that organize tours to see the coffee plants and taste freshly roasted coffee.