Cusco Perú

Description

Population: Approx. 400,000

Average altitude: 3,350 meters (10,000 feet)

Distances: 1h 25m flight from/to Lima (20 hours by bus)

When to go: the best time to go to tek is from March to December, our dry season.

Currency: Soles

Language: Quechua / Spanish

Please note that the Inca Trail is closed in February for maintenance and rainy season.

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire, and the political, economic and cultural center of the Americas. With an empire stretching from the northern half of Chile and Argentina to the southern tip of Colombia, the Inca Empire was the largest civilization in South America, and built a capital to live up to its formidable reputation.

Cusco is home to some of the best Inca architecture ever built. Even after the city’s destruction during the Spanish conquest, people are in awe of the engineering skills that created this city and the resulting beauty.

Wherever you walk in Cusco, you will find reminders of its fascinating past. From the remains of Inca palaces, now home to museums and restaurants, to the engraved and cut rocks you’ll find throughout the area, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the legacy the Incas left behind.

The history of Cusco does not only come from the Inca period. For 500 years, the Spanish also left their mark on the city, and today you can see an interesting and eclectic mix of Incan and Spanish colonial architecture and culture side by side. The most notable example is the Santo Domingo Monastery, this enclosure was the Temple of the Sun during the Inca period, and was demolished by the Spanish who built the Church of Santo Domingo.

However, the original foundations still remain, as do some of the original temple buildings inside.

Currently Cusco is an impressive city to walk around. In addition to finding incredible and almost intact architecture, hikers will also find numerous markets filled with countless handicrafts and alpaca products, and delicious Peruvian cuisine, including typical dishes, drinks such as chocolate and pisco sour, the flagship drink of Peruvians! !