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OVERVIEW
Cuzco was the capital of
the Inca empire and can be considered Peru's capital
today because of the rich Incan heritage. Many of the
streets in the city center are lined with buildings
containing whole parts of ancient Inca walls. The
streets are often stepped, narrow and crowded and
probably don't look that different from those in earlier
days.
The heart of Cuzco is on
the plaza de armas. The Avenida de Sol, leading roughly
speaking south-east from the plaza is the main business
street. To the north and the east of the Plaza de Armas
you find the old quarters of Cuzco. Cuzco houses three
reasonably good museums that are worth a visit. The
markets of Cuzco are great for getting Indian craftwork.
The Plaza San Blas is one of the best places to see it
made. The street leading up to it has a lot of shops.
Many of the sights in
Cuzco itself stem from Colonial Times, there are quite a
few interesting churches and old mansions. The main Inca
sights are to be found at the Coricancha - the golden
courtyard. And of course Machu Picchu is close by and an
ideal excursion from Cuzco.
Incan ruins are a main
attraction around the area of Cuzco. The most popular
of which is Sachsayhuaman the head of the puma that the
city was designed to represent. Sacsayhuaman
(alternately spelled sacsaywaman), is the closest and
most important of the archeological sites near Cusco. Many
tourists make a day of the four main archeological
attractions, which can be found on a single admissions
ticket sold in the city. Puca Pucara and Tambo Machay
followed by Qenko and Sacsayhuaman makes a nice tour
of the area, and will offer an appetizer to those headed
out to Machu Picchu later. Stop by the Christo Blanco
(White Chirst) next to Sacsayhuaman for an
excellent view over the city of Cuzco.
SIGHTS
The town of Cuzco is rich
with ruins. You'll notice fine Incan stonework
everywhere from your hostel to the walls of Loreto
Street. Interested in Andean religious art? The
Cathedral, Church and Convent of La Merced, Church and
Convent of Santo Domingo, San Blas Church, Church and
Convent of San Francisco, Archbishop´s Palace are full
of artifacts, architecture and icons. Prefer historic
sites? Exploring Machu Picchu, the Urubamba Sacred
Valley, Kenko, Sacsayhuaman, Pisac and Ollantaytambo
will keep even the most ardent historians busy.
Go. It's an incredible place.
CHURCH’S JESUS MARIA
Left of the Cathedral, this church goes back to
1733. Entrance for tourist via the Iglesia el Triunfo.
It is open for worshippers from early in the morning,
until 10:00. Afterwards, it is open for tourists. You
can go in quitely and politely as one of the
worshippers, and save the ticket.
KORIKANCHA
What you see now is only the stonework, imagine that
many of the kilometer long walls were covered with gold
in Inca times and you can start to imagine what sort of
impression it made on visitors to the Inca kings.
Especially of interest, is the perfect architecture,
with the precise trapezodial doors, windows and walls.
QENKO
Between Tambo Machay and Sacsa, these ruins are great.
It consists of a large limestone rock with carvings,
including zigzagging channels.
CHURCH’S EL TRIUNFO
To the right of the cathedral. to enter the
Cathedral and the Jesus Maria, you pass through the
entrance of the el Triunfo. It is the oldest church in
Cuzco and dates from 1536.
CATEDRAL
One of the cities best repositories of colonial art,
the Cathedral was begun in 1559. Entrance for tourists
via the Iglesia el Triunfo.
Like the Jesus Maria, it can be visited free of charge
up to 10:00. The early morning is the time for the
worshippers, not for the tourists. Just go in quitely
and politely as one of the worshippers and walk around
freely.
An interesting painting in the cathedral is the one of
last supper. It was done by Esquela Cuzquena. The main
dish is the guinea pig (cuy in Spanish), which steals
the show.
SACSAYHUAMAN
About 1 hour's walk from the city centre, Sacsayhuaman
(or Sacsaywaman) is the best Incan ruin in the immediate
vicinity of Cuzco. Climb the steep street of Resbalosa
and turn right at the top. Continue until you reach a
hairpin bend in the road. This is where the old Inca
road from Cuzco to Sacsa begins. Follow this road.
TAMBOMACHAY
8 km from Cuzco, this ruin can be reached by taking
the bus to Pisac and ask the driver to get off at Tambo
Machay. The site is 300 meters off the main road and
gives a good view over the Puca Pucara ruins. Tambo
Machay is a ceremonial bath and is locally known as El
Bano del Inca.
EATING AND DRINKING
More than many cities,
Cusco caters for the belly of the low-budget traveller
superbly, with enough top-notch restaurants and cafes to
provide a good month's worth of variety, should one
require it. Centred around the Plaza de Armas, a wealth
of eateries compete fiercely for attention, all offering
a good array of soups, salads and meat-based main
courses, plus the nation's most infamous dish, Cuy
(Guinea Pig), for a very reasonable sum. Another of the
region's most popular dishes, Rocoto Relleno, is also to
be found across the city. The battered red pepper,
filled with meat and vegetables, is delicious and
filling, if a little on the spicy side for many.
Cuy and Alpaca both merit
sampling at least once, especially the former, tasting
like a richer, darker descendant of lamb. The city is
also particularly strong on Mexican-Andean fused dishes,
with the majority of the establishments hiding away down
the narrow streets heading north-west away from the
Plaza de Armas, especially Procurado, Teqseqocha and
Plateros. Also around here lies Mia Pizza, which
unsuprisingly offers a large and superb menu of Italian
meals, as well as the beef/chicken/lamb numbers found
elsewhere (about 100 yards up Procurado, on the right).
Amongst the many breakfast-offering places, Yakumama's
Grill (on the second floor, at the southern pinacle of
the Plaza de Armas) stands out. A vast meal including
Pancakes, Eggs, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Muesli and some
excellent fresh juices should satisfy the most
impressive appetite, and will set you back little more
than 10 Soles. For the less conventional Peruvian meal,
Espaderos (leading off the western corner of the Plaza)
features a small Fondue restaurant, although both the
quality and the quantity is average at best, and comes
at a price (around 50 Soles for a main course).
The area around San Blas also houses a number of fine
establishments, such as Pacha Papa, on the south-west
side of the square, facing the church, although these
tend to be a little more pricey than those around the
Plaza de Armas.
USEFUL INFORMATION
AUSANGATE INFORMATION
A magnificent trek. The true image of the high Andes.
One of the most spectacular Andean trekking adventures.
You will have the chance to meet traditional, native
Quechua Indians who live at 14,000 feet, tending their
herds of llamas and alpacas. They live in an isolated
region of the Cordillera Vilcanota among sparkling
glaciers, colorful lakes and relaxing hot springs. You
will also have a good chance of encountering condors,
the world’s largest flying bird, and other Andean fauna
such as vicuña, practically extinct elsewhere.
SACRED VALLEY
INFORMATION
The Vilcanota/Urubamba river valley is a beautiful
place to visit, starting at Pisac, just 30 kilometer
from Cusco. A unique typical Andean town which on
Sundays is filled with locals in their colorful
traditional costumes, trading goods after a traditional
mass and procession. This market is also open on
Thursdays. On the hilltop is located the archeological
complex, a strategic Inca stronghold with fine stone
work and superb view of agricultural terraces and the
valley.
CUSCO INFORMATION
CUSCO (also spelt Cuzco with a "z"), mythical
capital of the Inca Empire, preserves its stone walls
and battlements with pride, evoking the greatness of the
"Children of the Sun". It's a city packed full of
historical monuments and relics, of myths and legends,
which seem to come to life every time you walk through
its century old streets.
BEST TIME TO VISIT PERU
best time to visit Peru is anytime of year. However
the dry season in Peru is from May to September, This is
good if going to on jungle treks. The rainy season is
from the middle of November to March and can make
activities such as jungle treks difficult. Some of these
activities can be suspended if the weather gets to bad.
This however is extremely rare.
MACHUPICCHU INFORMATION
Since the discovery of MACHU PICCHU on the 24 th of
July, 1911, by North American Hiram Bingham, it has been
considered one of the world's greatest architectural and
archaeological monuments due to its extraordinary
magnificence and harmonious structure. it is said that
machu picchu has the highest uv levels in the world.
machu picchu is linked to the inca trail, the inca trail
is 82 (km) long and starts at cusco and ends at machu
picchu.
CHOQUEQUIRAO INFORMATION
Some of the impressive
features of Choquequirao, are the amazing stone walls
protecting it, the greenness of their fabulous land
shelves, and the entire atmosphere charged with energy
probably coming from old ceremonies the Inkas used to
perform to please the Sun god
INKA TRAIL INFORMATION
The Lost City of Machu Picchu is without a doubt the
most recognizable symbol of Inca Civilization and
knowledge. "The Inca Trail ", as it is known now, was
the Royal Highway that led pilgrims and officials of the
Empire to the Sacred City of the Incas.
OLLANTAYTAMBO INFORMATION
The temple-fortress of Ollantaytambo is located some
30 miles outside Cuzco and is built on the hillside
above the modern-day village of Ollantaytambo. The huge,
steep terraces that form the outer defences of the
fortress successfully repelled a Spanish attack in 1536.
SACSAYHUAMAN
INFORMATION
If the city of Cuzco is considered to be in the
shape of a puma, then the mighty fortress of Sacsahuaman
would be located at the head, and its sharply zig-zagged
outer walls could represent the fierce teeth of the
animal. Sacsahuaman figured prominently during the
Spanish Conquest, with a fierce battle taking place
there between conquistadors and natives during the Great
Rebellion of 1536.
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