Things To Do In Cusco

Cusco, located southeast of the Peru, this fantastic location is 3,400 meters above sea level, with its majestic constructions that are the living portrait of two cultures, Inca and Spanish, and that are now monuments and tourist attractions of the immense wealth that It has the city. Cusco has a variety of climates and landscapes, the town lies in a transitional zone between temperate and cold areas, so any time of the year is good to visit the city, since it has a consistently dry weather throughout the year : sunny during the day and cold at night. The rainy season is from December to March.

Cusco their places and tourist attractions are known the largest in the history of South America, Cuzco was the capital of the great Inca culture. Because his Majesty has been seen as the “archaeological Capital of America” and is also considered as cultural heritage of humanity. Its name probably comes from a quechua Word Qusqu or Qosqo meaning Center or navel this because, according to the Inca mythology, it met the world below (Uku pacha) with the visible world (Kay pacha) and the upper world (Hanan pacha). Thus, the city was and is called the navel of the world, in reference to the universe. However, any modern quechua language contains the name associated with the mentioned meaning.

Its tourist attractions, undoubtedly the most fascinating city in the Andes. Its Colonial architecture combined with the majestic buildings Inca stone foundations. In the regions of Cusco are different and impressive tourist attractions such as:

Sacsayhuaman

Sacsayhuaman is one of the most amazing buildings in the world, it is thought that it began to be built during the government of Pachacútec and that it continued for another 70 years until Tupac Yupanqui, the complex had a great ceremonial meaning, besides its religious functions. Its name in Quechua means “place where the hawk is satiated”, Sacsayhuaman is located 2.5 km (15 min) from the center of the city through paved road, Sacsayhuaman is known for its huge blocks of calcareous stones, many stones they were carved with an amazing precision to form the outer walls. Some of these stones exceed 9 m in height and weigh more than 120 tons. Sacsayhuaman is the most important temple of the Hanan Qosqo or Cusco from Above could have been located there, to be dedicated to the Andean cosmology and for the worship of the Inti (sun), the keel (moon), etc. This site had to be built around 100 years old It is one of the largest megalithic structures in the new world.

Qenqo

Qenqo, is located 5 minutes northeast of the city of Cusco. There are two places: it is an Inca ceremonial center that comes from the Qenqo Quechua meaning labyrinth. In the cosmovision of the Andean culture, this place was built to invoke Kaypacha, the legendary snake that gives birth to life. The Incas used this place as a bridge to communicate with other gods such as the Sun, the earth, the mountains, the moon and the stars. Everything in this place has a special mystique, the amphitheater, the labyrinths, the canals and the sacrificial room. It is observed on a natural rock formation that has been carved with designs. It also has a large rock inside an altar that in turn is inside a semicircular amphitheater and 5 meters (18 feet) of stone blocks that are said to represent a puma. The most interesting is the great outcrop of limestone that has been carved with complex mythical figures related to the cult of the land (Pacha Mama) and the series of serpentine channels, for ceremonial use that must have given the name to the place.

Tambomachay

Tambomachay, is located 7 km from the city of Cusco very close to sacsayhuaman is a series of finely worked stone structures. Tambomachay is a marvel of hydraulic engineering, its system of aqueducts still continue to this day, feeding a series of enclosures where rituals were held in honor of the water source of life by the sun worshipers, the Incas. It is probable that it was used for the worship of water and also of utilitarian form for agriculture in the area since water is one of the most important elements in the Andean cosmovision. Tambomachay as its name means in Quechua “place of rest”, it is said to have been a resource for the Inca, Peruvian historians say that this was used by the Inca Tupac Yupanqui as a hunting lodge, besides being a sanctuary.

Tourist Attractions of the Sacred Valley of the Incas

The Sacred Valley of the Incas, has become one of the most important destinations in South America. The Sacred Valley is located at 2,850 meters and is 27 km (1 hour by car) northeast of Cusco, this valley is located along the Vilcanota River. The valley is located between the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, which is the place where you will have to enter the Inca city of Machu Picchu. In the Sacred Valley of the Incas we will see a succession of picturesque villages, Inca terraces and other Inca archaeological sites, as well as the cultivated land of sweet white corn and blessed with an exceptional climate, a visit to this valley should be a must for all those who come to Cusco. Next we will see some of the cities and Inca landmarks along the Sacred Valley of the Incas:

Pisac:

Pisac is an important and picturesque archaeological site, the town of Pisac is located 33 kilometers from the city of Cusco and is presented as the gateway to the Sacred Valley, it is a fantastic place, the weather is pleasant, the people are friendly, the construction of agricultural terraces is a marvel. It is world famous for its artisan market and its impressive archaeological remains in the mountains, considered one of the best examples of Inca architecture.

Ollantaytambo:

Ollantaytambo is a fantastic city, of Inca origin, it is located 97 km northwest of the city of Cusco; approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes by car. It was during the time of the Incas a fortified city, with temples, urban, agricultural sectors and walls of defense. It is known that the Inca city of Ollantaytambo served as an administrative control post. The city takes the name of Ollantaytambo because of a legendary general who revealed himself to the Incas by the name of Ollantay. Ollantaytambo is divided into two sectors, one that is part of the town or city and the other is the archaeological center of Ollantaytambo itself. Both the urban design and some of its buildings date back to the Inca era.

Chinchero:

Chinchero is a town of Inca origin, is located 28 km northeast of the city of Cusco at 3,772 m.s., from the town of Chinchero one has spectacular views of the Vilcabamba and Vilcanota mountain ranges. In the main square there is a huge Inca wall that contains 10 large trapezoidal niches in perfect condition. The square also features one of the most important colonial churches in the region, with baroque altars and numerous mural paintings from the 17th century with canvases from the “Escuela Cuzqueña”.

Maras, Las Salineras and Moray

Maras is located 53 km northwest of Cusco, Maras was the home of the descendants of the Incas del Hurin Cusco Panaca, the city contains a large church and several colonial houses with the coat of arms of the noble families these shields are located in the main portals of each house for this reason Maras is considered the city of the portals. Near Maras, in the peasant community of Pichingoto, we find the salt mines, known locally as salt mines where you can see more than 5,000 salt extraction pits that have been exploited since pre-Hispanic times. In the colonial era, it was the first salt production center in the central highlands of Peru. Moray is perhaps one of the most mysterious places because the site consists of a large irrigation system and a series of concentric agricultural terraces but when one visits this place it is arid and the only water supply that could have would be the rain but margin of everything is believed that Moray was one of the main agricultural research centers of the Inca empire, dedicated to the experimentation and planting of crops from different parts of the empire.