Cusco
The terrain in Cusco is steep, combining fertile inter-Andean valleys with impressive mountains that descend to the rim of the jungle where the temperature rises and the landscape is transformed through a variety of vegetation.
The city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire, was placed on the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983, and is without a doubt one of the most important destinations in Peru. There are Incan buildings waiting for you to discover them among its cobble-stoned streets, ones like the Koricancha and the palace of Inca Roca as well as Andean Baroque structures from the Colonial Period like the Cathedral and the Church of the Company of Christ. In addition, you can visit the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas where the best artisans in the department have set up their workshops. This magical city also has an exciting nightlife with cafes, restaurants, and bars for all tastes. Just ten minutes away from the city, there are the massive walls of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, and a few kilometers from there, you find the archeological sites of Qenko, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay, Incan buildings constructed completely with stone.
There are also the towns of Písac, Maras, Chinchero, and Ollantaytambo, which are spread throughout the Sacred Valley of the Incas, one hour from Cusco. From there, it is possible to catch the train to Machu Picchu. Another way of getting to the citadel is by following one of the Inca Trails, a spectacular network of pathways that snake their way among the snow covered mountains, rivers, and overwhelming countryside. This is one of the best trekking routes in the world, since scattered throughout it, you find remarkable archeological sites and areas rich in unique plant and animal species.
The enigmatic complex of Machu Picchu, the most important and beautiful legacy of the ancient Peruvian, is part of the Historic Sanctuary of the same name, which is also one of the few places in the Americas placed on both the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Lists by UNESCO. It is located high on top of a mountain and complements the exuberant nature that surrounds it, creating a one of a kind place in the world.
Altitude
Capital: Cusco (3399 masl / 11.156 fasl)
Altitude: Lowest point: 532 masl / 1745 fasl (Pilcopata)
Highest point: 4801 masl / 15.751 fasl (Suyckutambo)
Weather
The city has a semi-dry and cold climate. The annual average maximum temperature is 19.6ºC (67.3ºF) and the minimum is 4.2ºC (39.6ºF). The rainy season starts in November and ends in March, and it is the time when the mountains are covered in green. Between June and July is the time of the intense cold (heladas) even with occasional snowfalls.
Access Routes
By land: Lima – Arequipa – Cusco: 1650 km / 1025 miles (26 hours by car)
Lima – Nasca – Puquio – Abancay – Cusco: 1131 km / 703 miles (20 hours by car)
Puno – Cusco: 389 km / 242 miles (7 hours by car)
By air: Daily flights to Cusco from Lima (1 hour) and Arequipa (30 minutes)
By train: Regular service from Puno: 384 km / 239 miles (10 hours)
Distances from the City of Cusco:
Acomayo (Province of Acomayo) 104,5 km (65 miles) / 3 hours
Anta (Province of Anta) 26 km (16 miles) / 30 minutes
Calca (Province of Calca) 50 km (31 miles) / 1 hour and 15 minutes
Yanaoca (Province of Canas) 165 km (103 miles) / 3 hours
Sicuani (Province of Canchis) 138 km (86 miles) / 2 hours
Santo Tomás (Province of Chumbivilcas) 240 km (149 miles) / 10 hours
Yauri (Province of Espinar) 241 km (150 miles) / 7 hours
Quillabamba (Province of La Convención) 210 km (130 miles) / 6 hours
Paruro (Province of Paruro) 64 km (40 miles) / 2 hours
Paucartambo (Province of Paucartambo) 109 km (68 miles) / 3 hours
Urcos (Province of Quispicanchi) 46 km (29 miles) / 40 minutes
Urubamba (Province of Urubamba) 78 km (48 miles) / 1 hour and 25 minutes
Atractions
Cathedral of CuscoVisiting hours: Mon. – Sat. 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. Sun. and Holidays 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.
The building went through two construction stages: first, the Chapel of the Triumph was built on top of what used to be the temple Suntar Wasi (House of God); later, the cathedral itself was built over the remains of the palace of Inca Wiracocha. A Renaissance building in its majority, the interior decoration is rich in cedar and alder woodcarvings. The choir and the pulpit stand out for their beauty. An important collection of paintings from the Cusco School and silver wrought pieces are also kept there.
Chinchero28 km / 17 miles northwest of Cusco (45 minutes by car)
A must see is the Colonial church where beautiful paintings of the CuscoSchool are kept. Every Sunday, the farmers and businessmen gather to exchange their products in a fair where they still barter. There are important archeological vestiges in the area.
Church and Convent of La MercedCalle Mantas. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
The Baroque church was built between 1657 and 1680. The sacristy holds its most precious treasure: an impressive gold and gemstones encrusted monstrance, 1,3 meters / 3 feet high and of 22 kilos. It is crowned with one large mermaid shaped pearl, considered the second largest in the world.
Church of the Company of Jesus ChristMain Square
The original building was raised in 1571 on the grounds of the ancient palace of Inca Huayna Cápac, the Amarucancha. After the earthquake of 1650, it was rebuilt around 1688. The design and the façade are examples of Andean Baroque. The retable style entrance is decorated with medium size towers and the stonewalls are carefully worked. Once inside, the triple bodied upper altar with salomonic columns, the wooden pulpit, and numerous Baroque, Plateresque, and Churrigueresque shrines catch the eye. The most remarkable work of art is “El matrimonio de Martín García de Loyola con Beatriz Clara Coya“ (The Wedding of Martín García de Loyola with Beatriz Clara Coya).
City of Urubamba78 km / 48 miles northwest of Cusco on the route to Pisac (1 hour and 25 minutes by car). Another route is the one via Chinchero (57 km / 35 miles or 45 minutes by car)
It is located in the heart of the SacredValley. Before the Incas, it was a very important agricultural center. Today, the economy is based on farming and tourism, and the city itself is known for being one of the friendliest in the valley. Good tourist services are available in Urubamba.
Convent of Santo Domingo / Koricancha
Plaza Intipampa, corner of Avenida El Sol and Calle Santo Domingo. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sat. 8:30 A.M. – 6:30 P.M. and Sun. 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
The Koricancha was one of the most impressive buildings of Inca Cusco according to the historians: the glowing gilding of the interior walls illuminated what used to be the main temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. The Spanish built the church and Dominican convent on top of the original structure around 1534 but they collapsed during the earthquake of 1650 and were rebuilt around 1681. The convent possesses an art gallery of valuable seventeenth and eighteenth century canvasses.
Inca Trail to Machu PicchuIt was part of the Inca highway system (Qhapaq Ñan) and is one of the most important South American trekking routes. Along the hike, you can see several gorges and streams that originate from glaciers. There are twelve archeological monuments along the trail, such as Qoriwachayrachina, Patallaqta, Runkuraqay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Intipunku, Intipata, and Wiñayhuayna.
The starting point of the trip varies according to the trail you wish to take. The most popular route starts around kilometer marker 82 of the railroad Cusco – Machu Picchu (40 km / 25 miles from the citadel itself). Another possibility, shorter in time, is called the Sacred Trail, and begins at kilometer marker 104 of the railroad.
Larco Museum of Pre-Colombian ArtPlaza Nazarenas 231. Telephone: (084) 23-3210. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. and holidays 9:00 A.M. – 11:00 P.M.Ç
The mansion that shelters the museum was Kancha Inca in 1450, the house of the Conquistador Alonso Díaz in 1580, the home of Count de la Cabrera in 1850, and was completely restored to become the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art in June 2003. In its 11 rooms, 450 works of art are displayed that date from 1250 B.C. to 1532 A.D. These were selected from a group of 45.000 objects belonging to the collection of the Larco Archeological Museum in Lima.
Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary
110 km / 68 miles northwest of Cusco (4 hours by train) to the village of Machu Picchu and then another 8 km / 5 miles to the citadel (20 minutes by bus)
Machu Picchu is an impressive Inca citadel placed on the side of a mountain. Its Quechua name means “Old Mountain”, but it is also known as “the Lost City of the Incas” since it remained hidden from the West until discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. It was built in the fifteenth century, and is attributed to the Inca Pachacutec. The archeological complex is divided into two zones that are contained within approximately twenty hectares. On the sides of the mountain, you can see up to four meters high (13 feet) agricultural terraces. Several plazas and buildings, the most important being the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana or solar clock and calendar, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Main Temple and the Condor Sector, make up the urban sector. There is also an impressive monolith of carved stone, three meters high (10 feet) and seven meters wide (23 feet) at the base, named the Sacred Stone. In order to build Machu Picchu, the Incas had to use blocks of stone brought from long distances. The finish of the walls features different quality levels and techniques. One of the highest quality walls is the central one of the MainTemple where the stones fit together perfectly.
The Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary in not only a priceless archeological site, it is also associated with rich animal and plant life. In 1983, UNESCO placed it on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Lists.
Main Square, CuscoDuring the Inca Empire, the square was called Huacaypata, a Quechua word meaning “place of tears” or “meeting place”. It was an important ceremonial spot where the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun was celebrated every year. It is also the place where Franciso Pizarro proclaimed the conquest of Cusco. After the Spanish arrived, the plaza changed. They erected stone arches and built the structures that surround it today.
Maras Salt-mines10 km / 6 miles from Maras (30 minutes by car or 2 hours on foot)
Also called Salinas de Maras, these salt-mines have been used since the Tahuantinsuyo. The people channel the salt water that bubbles to the surface from a spring called Qoripujio towards men-made wells. From the exposure to the sun, the water evaporates and the salt remains on the surface to be transported later to the market to be sold. The view of this complex of nearly 3000 wells is spectacular. The local people happily demonstrate the ancient techniques to visitors, even allowing them to participate in them.
Moray Archeological Complex9 km / 6 miles northwest of Maras (25 minutes by car)
There are four slightly elliptical agricultural terraces, that the people call muyus. The largest structure is 45 meters / 148 feet deep, and the average height of each terrace is 2 meters / 3 feet. Many think that this place was an important agricultural experimentation center for the Incas. Through the use of concentric terraces and because the temperature is different in each of their level, all the ecological tiers found in the confines of the Tahuantinsuyo Empire would have been reproduced in this complex.
Ollantaytambo Archeological Complex97 km / 60 miles northwest of Cusco (2 hours and 30 minutes by car)
The Incas built it as a fort that included a temple, agricultural terraces, and an urban area. There are two distinct sectors: Araqama Ayllu, the religious and worship zone, and Qosqo Ayllu, the residential area. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative center with probable military functions if one considers the walls and towers. There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a LivingIncaTown since the inhabitants maintain very old practices and customs. From Ollantaytambo, you can visit the village of Willoc, where the Quechua-speaking inhabitants distinguish themselves from the rest of the region by wearing red clothing that identifies them as members of a unique family.
Pukapukara Archeological Complex7 km / 4 miles northeast of Cusco (30 minutes by car or 2 hours on foot)
The complex contains several rooms, inner plazas, aqueducts, vantage points, and pathways. It might have served as a tambo or rest and lodging area. According to the tale, each time the Inca was able to go to Tambomachay, he would be accompanied by a large cortège, which stayed at Pukapukara. It is also called a fort because of its fortified-city appearance.
Qenko Archeological Complex3 km / 2 miles northwest of Cusco (15 minutes by car). Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. and holidays 7:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
The Qenko or “labyrinth” might date from around 1500 A.D. It is considered a holy place where ceremonies honoring the sun, moon, and the stars used to take place
Sacsayhuaman Archeological Complex2 km / 1 mile northeast of Cusco (10 minutes by car). Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. and holidays 7:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
The area contains thirty-three archeological sites. The most famous is Fort Sacsayhuaman. It might well have been a religious structure, but for its location and style, the Spanish and the historians believe it was a military construction. The most important temple in Hanan Qosqo or Upper Cusco might have been located there, dedicated to Andean cosmology and to the worship of the Inti (sun), the Quilla (moon), Chaska (stars), Illapa (ray), and other divinities. It is described as massive for the size of some of its stones, which weigh between 90 and 120 tons. This is also the stage of the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun every 24th June
San Blas Neighborhood4 blocks from the Main Square
It is one of the most picturesque areas in all of Cusco. It is called T’oqokachi or Salt Hole and is characterized by narrow, steep streets and beautiful Colonial houses. It is also known as the Artisans Neighborhood. In San Blas many families accommodate guests in their homes.
Tambomachay Archeological complex8 km / 4 miles northwest of Cusco (35 minutes by car)
Tambomachay might have fulfilled an important religious function linked to water and the regeneration of the land. Some scholars believe it was built around 1500 A.D., closely linked with Pukapukara. The area covers about one hectare, and was made out of polygonal shaped set limestone.
Twelve-Angle StoneSan Blas area
On Calle Hatunrumiyoc, you can see an old Inca wall that was part of the Inca Roca palace and demonstrates the admirable construction skill of the Inca in terms of polished and perfectly placed stones. The most remarkable part is the “Twelve-Angle Stone”, famous for the perfect work and assembling of its angles.
|