Information About Cusco
THE CAPITAL OF THE INCA EMPIRE
In Cusco, every corner tells a story and every story is captivating, mystical and inviting. Imagine walking through streets with names like “Ataúd” [Coffin], Siete Culebras [Seven Serpents] and “Arpías” [Harpies]. In these streets time seems to have stopped, every corner offers a piece of history, and the stones remain alive because they have survived intact.
Cusco witnessed the arrival of the Spanish, and yet to this day it conserves an ancestral magic which captivates the thousands of visitors who each year form part of its living history.
Cusco, acknowledged as the historic capital of Peru, renowned as the navel of the Earth.
The heart of Cusco’s historic center is, without doubt, its main square, or “Plaza Mayor”, from where all city tours begin. On foot, it is possible to visit the cathedral, the Jesuit church, take selfies at the 12-angled stone and, by climbing four blocks uphill, arrive at the San Blas neighborhood. And if you still have breath, you carry on up for the view of sunset over the imperial city.
In buses with panoramic windows, you can visit Sacsayhuaman, make an offering to Mother Earth with a shaman, learn how local people dye wool to produce colorful typical clothing, and end your tour at Qorikancha, the Inca temple over which Santo Domingo church and monastery were built. From here, it is a short walk back to the main square.
Because in Cusco everything leads back to the city’s center. The old heart of a great empire.
The Urubamba valley is still considered sacred by local people and its air of mysticism can be felt wherever one goes. Rural farming and weaving communities have retained unchanged their ancestral customs and traditions.
The Sacred Valley’s beautiful scenery will take your breath away, and its varied geography will invite you to enjoy adventure sports: trekking, climbing, horseback riding… Here you can practice most outdoor pursuits. But if your passion is culture, traveling through the valley will take you to incredible Inca archaeological sites, filled with history.
Also, the valley’s accommodation will surprise you. Options range from comfortable guesthouses to 5-star hotels. And the valley’s gastronomy will not disappoint. Try it for yourself!
The Sacred Valley is a place that must be experienced. Afterwards, you will carry it in your heart wherever you go.
Cusco and Machu Picchu are like two sides of the same coin. They are inseparable. Cusco, known by the Incas as the navel of the Earth, was the center of their vast empire. It is filled with buildings that expressed their power: Qorikancha, the palace of Pachacutec, and nearby Sacsayhuaman, Qenko and Tambomachay, to name just a few sites.
Machu Picchu is an architectural jewel, a place of rest for Inca royalty, as well as a political, religious and administrative center. Its complex function was a result of the need to establish at a single location everything required to accommodate the Inca sovereign, so that he could live and rule from the top of a mountain.
ALTITUDE:
- 10 950 feet above sea level
CLIMATE:
- 33 °F/ Max. 70 °F