'Cuzco' A visit to the Inca Empire

Why is Cuzco so famous? Besides being the nearest spot to Machu Picchu, Cuzco holds the Incas history since the very beginning and is the oldest continuously inhabited city.

Traveling to South America and especially in Peru is quickly booming around all travelers in the world. Let's see why is Cuzco a must, before heading to Machu Pichu. Don't miss up the latest and updated travel tips and guides if you're planning to jump on this magnificent place.

“Are you looking forward to visiting Cuzco and make sure, you're not missing up any important corner? starting off with; San Blas, Hatun Rumiyoc Street, known as ''Twelve-angled stone'', Cuzco's Cathedral, Inca and Pisco Museum, Pisac Market and Saksaywaman. ”

Tackling the historical part of Cuzco is the historical capital of Peru (current capital is Lima) and is declared as such in its constitution. Its name Cuzco, (as the Peruvians call it) or Qosqo (southern Quechua), ''it's a national sign of identity commemorating the struggle that was performed during the decoupling from the Spanish colonizing''. Nowadays the ancient capital had been modified during the Spanish colonization with palaces, squares, churches which make it today as one of the main tourist attraction of Peru.

Now let's take a look at what are the most attractive places to see here.

There are a bunch of things that will inevitably be parts of your trip, such as the hundreds of cobblestone streets with stories to learn, handicraft markets, the stone of the twelve angles, the great cathedral and several of the churches that will cross your path. These are however some of the most recommended things to browse in the city:

San Pedro Market (Mercado de San Pedro)

To begin with, #SanPedroMarket, one of the most varied and exotic places in terms of regional foods and products. Fresh coca leaves, pure cocoa, coffee of the best quality, fruit juices and typical dishes are just some of the things you will find.

San Blas

A very similar place to '' Barranco'' from Lima, a very bohemian neighborhood full of textile, regional and paintings. I recommend it to spend some hours walking around with friends or family, there's plenty of places as well to drink and get souvenirs.

This is definitely a must, #SanBlas is located near the Plaza de Armas from there you can walk through the narrow and Andean streets. Feeling the tourist atmosphere as well as the Andean culture will definitely attract you.

Sacsayhuamán

I couldn't see this one, however, I heard a lot of it. Two kilometers to the north of Cuzco is located this unique #Incafortress. Considered the greatest architectural work of the Incas, it was built during its heyday between the 15th and 16th centuries.

There's a popular story which explains that the extermination of the Inca nobles took not only their lives but the knowledge of how this fortification was built.

Not far from #Sacsayhuaman you will find the archaeological remains of the Temple of the Moon.

Qorikancha and the Santo Domingo Convent.

The one that was originally the #Templeofthesun and where later the Convent of Santo Domingo was built. Currently one of the most interesting temples in the heart of the city of Cuzco.

Also known as the #GoldenTemple (the walls were covered by sheets of gold), is the base on which the convent of Santo Domingo was built. Previously it was the religious, political and geographic center of Cuzco.

Plaza de Armas and Cuzco's Cathedral.

The #Plazadearmas of Cuzco is the heart of modern Cusco. A place full of restaurants, shops, churches and buildings from the time of the Spanish conquest.

Imposing and majestic Plaza de Armas with charm, You vibrate and thousands of tourists all day, from here you can see the churches, the landscapes, the white Christ and who can get a wide variety of tourist information for what it causes you to do in Cuzco. The #Cathedralofcuzco is the main religious temple of Cuzco. It was built with stones brought from Sacsayhuaman and it took more than 100 years to build it (between 1560 and 1664).

I remember for us that day was heavily raining but that didn't stop us to see what Cuzco had to offer. Even with the rain, it was wonderful to walk and visit the churches, especially the stone of the 12 angles and wonder how much accuracy as possible, super recommended!

Alley of Loreto ''Callejón de Loreto''.

The ''Callejón de Loreto'' is most famous for housing the stone of the twelve angles but also the charm of being an ideal place to see the contrast of the perfect Inca and Spanish constructions, walking along this street is simply like being transported in time, since it was one of the most important streets, it connects to #Koricacha which was the place where the Emperor started his way to #Sacsayhuaman for the INTI RAIMI (ceremony that is recreated until the day from today).

Twelve Sided Stone (Piedra de los doce ángulos).

The 12 Angle Stone is basically a big block of stones that were put together. This is undeniably a way to start recognizing the amazes of Incan culture and the archiepiscopal palace of Cuzco that was previously the residence of Inca Roca.

So with the #Twelvesidedstone, we end the sights part in #Cuzco, I have to admit there are really interesting so make sure to have enough days to really enjoy these sights. I will also comment on what other places are a must to see when visiting Cuzco, there are really exciting places! check below!

Food & Drinks

#Pisco and #Cusqueña are national beers so make sure to try them out! the national drink of Peru. It is a grape brandy, which is produced from fermented wine.

Buy #cocaleaves, drink #cocatea or visit the coca museum, as Peru is the second largest producer of this plant. Drinking a coca tea during the night when is a bit cold is such a pleasure

Take a look around the craft shops where you can find everything from bags, shoes and alpaca wool jerseys, real wonders made in silver.

More importantly don't forget to, walk through the #Sanpedromarket, full of craft stalls, food, and fruit juices.

Tours

Beware here, I always recommend to deeply study any tour before purchasing, Especially in Cuzco and its surrounding areas, where you can find several offers available, however, the prices aren't that cheap. You can find travel agencies in the city center or random persons will just come out offering a list of tours.

Cuzco outside area holds many eye-catching places to visit, you can visit ruins such as those of Saqsaywaman or Qenqo, which are only half an hour from the city center of Cusco, very close to the Cristo Blanco. Outside of the city proper, on the way to Pisac, you can visit the ruins of Puca Puccara, among others. However, it is not possible to visit any of these ruins by buying a single ticket, and the only way is to acquire the famous tourist ticket that costs 70 soles.

From my own experience the most important tours I could see, are:

The City Tour

It shows you the city and takes you to the cultural monuments with a tour guide

The Sacred Valley - A walk that lasts all day and leaves the city to show you the valleys in the surroundings, fortresses, markets, and crafts.

To visit Machu Picchu you must buy a ticket at the authorized retail

Sacred Valley

The magical Sacred Valley of the Incas is a mixture of archaeological remains, indigenous peoples, and varied mountain landscapes. Given its unbeatable conditions for agriculture, this valley was also chosen by the Spanish colonizers, leaving a multicultural mix still visible today.

Rainbow Mountain (Cerro Colorado Vinicunca)

I'm pretty sure you have seen this beautiful natural wonder. This natural beauty shows off its bright and colorful multicolored dress from April to November, between November and May. If you want to visit it, then be prepared for the height, the colors, the mountains, the snow and the sun at the same time, it takes about 2 hours walk to get here.

Pisac

One of the architectural gems of the Sacred Valley of the Incas is the archaeological site of Pisac, is located on the slopes of a mountain, in the beautiful town of Pisac. If you visit the Sacred Valley, be sure to include the ruins of Pisac in your itinerary. The ruins are 25 minutes from the town, following the path down the mountainside. Remember that you will need the Tourist Ticket of Cusco, to enter the ruins of Pisac; You can acquire it completely or partially.

How to get there?

By plane; The most comfortable, the fastest and certainly the most advisable.

From Europe there are no direct flights to the city of Cusco, so you have to enter Cuzco from its capital, Lima. The main airport in Lima is Jorge Chávez Airport.

From this airport, we will make a direct flight for about 55 minutes, to the Teniente Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco.

By bus or the land way; As a backpacker this is what I did) From Lima, the bus that goes to the city of Cuzco makes the journey of 700 kilometers in 19 hours ...

However, we arrived in Cuzco from Arequipa so the land way was shorter.

By Train; Sorry as far as I know there's only train from Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu Town until the actual Machu Picchu. Boomer!