Cuzco - Cuzco

Cuzco (or also Cusco) is a city of Peru, located in the region of Southern Sierra.

To know

Major destination of direct tourism in South America, Cuzco can hardly disappoint those who go there for the first time. The city is located in a valley between beautiful mountain landscapes and its surroundings are rich in archaeological sites. The excursion to Machu Picchu, going up the surrounding valleys and mountains, will perhaps be unforgettable as well as retracing the trail of the Incas. The center itself bears evidence of both Inca and colonial times. Even for those who do not like to mix with the crowds of tourists that animate the city streets, there are several possibilities. The centers in the immediate vicinity of Cuzco are deserted by the masses although they have a very respectable tourism potential.

Geographical notes

Cusco stretches along the Huatanay River valley on the eastern slope of the Andes. The city is situated at an average altitude of 3,400 m. To the north, the valley is closed by the Vilcabamba mountain range with peaks between 4,000 and 6,000 meters. The highest peak in the Cusco region is formed by Mount Salcantay (6,271 m.) Which rises to the northwest at a distance of about 60 km from the town.

When to go

From June to the end of September the sky is extraordinarily clear and sunny days are guaranteed. This is the best time to go hiking to Machu Picchu and the sacred valley.

Hotels and tour operators charge high season prices in the period June-August. Cusco is full of tourists in August, the only month in which most Europeans and North Americans can have holidays, so if you don't like crowds and high prices, avoid it.

December-January is a hot and humid period and therefore not recommended. It should also be considered that in February you will not have the opportunity to walk El Camino del Incas as it is closed for maintenance work.

Background

Cusco is probably the oldest urban settlement in the New World. Carbon-14 dating made it possible to establish that the Sacsayhuamán fortress was built around 1100 AD. The construction is attributed to the Kilke people who settled in the region since the 10th century AD.

On the basis of archaeological investigations carried out after 2004 it is assumed that the settlement of Cuzco dates back to and dates back to the previous civilization of the Huari, whose capital was near today's Ayacucho. The Huari was responsible for the foundation of Pikillaqta, the archaeological site 20 km from Cuzco.

According to the Inca tradition reported by the chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega the founder of Cuzco was Manco Cápac, a mythological figure who moved from Titicaca lake and on the advice of his father, the sun god, he settled where the arrow shot from his golden javelin fell.

The legend seems supported by archaeological, as well as anthropological data and today there is consensus among historians to believe that following the collapse of the kingdom of Tiahuanaco in today's Bolivia there was a migration that ended in Cuzco.

TO Pachacútec (C. 1380 - c. 1460), fourth Inca emperor, was responsible for the rebuilding of Cuzco and the division of the city into two areas: Urin, the lower city with a residential character and Hanan, the upper city with a ceremonial character. Pachacutcútec was also responsible for the subjugation of the tribes previously settled along the Andean arc and the creation of a strongly centralized empire. The most spectacular place in Cusco was the Coricancha, the temple of the sun god whose walls were lined with gold foil.

At the time of the civil war who saw the two brothers in opposition Huascar is Atahualpa for the succession to the throne, Cuzco fell under the dominion of the former.

Francesco Pizzarro, after defeating Atahualpa in the battle of Cajamarca of November 16, 1532 and having locked him up in prison, he entered Cuzco a year later but the conquistador preferred the new location of File as the capital of the Spanish viceroyalty as it ensured faster maritime connections with the Spain, thanks to the nearby port of El Callao.

Cuzco lost its importance and became a center of indigenous resistance to Spanish colonization. 1536 marked the beginning of the opposition led by I miss Inca, repressed by the Spaniards in 1572 with the beheading of Túpac Amaru.

Another revolt led by the Quechua indigenous José Condorcanqui dates back to 1780, who went down in history as Túpac Amaru II and executed by the Spaniards in the Plaza de Armas of Cuzco on May 18, 1781.

Under the Spaniards many Inca monuments were transformed into churches and convents and others were erected brand new. The cathedral was built between 1560 and 1664, the Society of Jesus church was erected in 1576, almost simultaneously with La Merced and San Francisco. In the civil architecture stand out the palaces of the Admiralty and the Archbishopric and that of the Marquises of San Lorenzo de Valle Umbroso. The hospital of San Bartolomé (later Hospital and Convent of San Juan de Dios) and that of Naturales were also inaugurated as well as the primary schools of San Francisco de Borja and San Bernardo, the Seminary of San Antonio Abad and the University of San Ignacio de Loyola.

In 1821 Peru became independent from the kingdom of Spain and Cuzco became part of the new state in 1824, after the defeat of the Spanish viceroy La Serna in the battle of Ayacucho by Simon Bolivar who stayed in the city the following year. The city underwent a new phase of economic and demographic decline, even going so far as to be invaded during the war with Bolivia in 1842. Also due to the typhus pestilence of 1855 and the smallpox epidemic of 1885, the population of the city was reduced to 13,000 inhabitants. At the time, Cusco had a reputation as one of the dirtiest cities in South America according to reports from various Peruvian and non-Peruvian travelers.

The economic recovery took place starting from 1908 when Cuzco was reached by the railway. The recovery was accompanied by the awakening of public and private construction. The canalization of the Saphy, Huatanay and Tullumayu rivers was completed which involved the opening of modern roads such as Saphy, Choquechaka and Tullumayo and El Sol which connected the central districts with the southern suburbs.

In 1911 the expedition of Hiram Bingham which led to the discovery of the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. The discovery had worldwide resonance, also determining the beginning of the tourist fortunes of Cuzco.

According to documents identified in 2008 in Peruvian and US archives, the real discoverer of Machu Picchu was Augusto Berns, a German adventurer who first visited the lost city in 1867 and began plundering its riches with the approval of the Peruvian government.

On May 23, 1921, the first flight from File in Cusco it was carried out by the Italian aviator Enrico Rolandi who gave impetus to civil aviation by removing Cuzco from its secular isolation due to the inadequacy of rolling roads and railways that had to travel the particularly rugged territory of the Andes. The first airport runway, disused in 1964 and now occupied by the Zonal Park, dates back to the 1930s.

On May 21, 1950, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale occurred which caused severe damage to colonial buildings. After that earthquake there was a mobilization by the Peruvian state and Unesco, which sent the American George Kubler to prepare a reconstruction project. The tourist development of the city dates back to those years. The tourists who in 1954 amounted to 6,902 had risen to 38,939 and 10 years later and in 1975 the tourist presences exceeded the resident population (176,625 visitors against 174,000, inhabitants).

In 1983 Cuzco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

How to orient yourself

The fulcrum of the historic center and of the tourist life of Cusco is the Plaza de Armas, dominated by the cathedral complex. Streets radiate from the square which are overlooked by clubs of all kinds and travel agencies. Among these a famous street is Hatun Rumiyoq, an uphill pedestrian street, bordered by the remains of the wall that was part of the palace of the Inca emperor Roca. Hatun Rumiyoq ends at the top of the square and the San Blas neighborhood, probably the most picturesque area of ​​Cuzco.

How to get

By plane

• -13.535556-71.9436111 Velasco Astete International Airport (IATA: CUZ). Cusco Airport is located 5km southeast of the city center.

Flights from Lima and other cities are insured by various airlines, however you will need to book well in advance, at least 4 months if you plan to travel in high season:

• Avianca - Flights to / from Bogota, File.
• LATAM Peru - Flights to / from Arequipa, Juliaca, La Paz, File, Puerto Maldonado, Santiago de Chile.
• Sky Airline Peru - Flights to / from Arequipa, File.
• Star Peru - Flights to / from File, Puerto Maldonado.
• Viva Air Perú - Flights to / from File.

Many hotels and hostels have a shuttle bus service to collect their customers at the airport. If you have not budgeted it, you will have to use a taxi. You will find plenty of them ready to grab you, including many squatters that you must be able to avoid. Regular taxis do not have a meter. There is actually a public minibus service that shuttles between the airport and the center but you won't be able to use it if you have a slightly bulky suitcase.

The Uber service is present in Cusco and is authorized to enter the airport area.  

On boat

It may still be the case that you have decided to combine a visit to Cuzco with a mini cruise on the Titicaca lake and get off at the international airport of La Paz (Bolivia) rather than that of File. The Bolivian capital is km from Puno, a center on the western shore of the lake, also connected to Cuzco by rail. However, the bus is faster and cheaper than the train. Calculate approximately 9-10 hours from Puno in Cuzco. Bus lines that carry out the service are First Class, Inka Express and Cruz del Sur

On the train

• -13.5212-71.98332 Estación de San Pedro. 
• -13.52545-71.971173 Estacion de Wanchaq. Local trains for Machu Picchu. Tourists are forbidden to get on these trains and are obliged to use special convoys reserved for them.

The Cusco – La Raya – Juliaca – Puno line also terminates here. 

By bus

• -13.534612-71.9657864 Terrestrial Terminal. If you have not found a place on the plane, you will be forced to undertake the journey by land but it may be that this will please you; Be aware that Cusco is 1,153km southeast of Lima and that buses take around 26 hours to cover the distance between the two centers, enough to get exhausted. Prefer first-class air-conditioned buses and well-known bus lines, such as Ormeño, Cruz del Sur, Oltursa, Civa. In all probability you will get off at the "Terminal Terrestre", the main terminus of the suburban bus lines located along the road to the airport. To get to the center you will have to use a taxi.

Consider again the opportunity to interrupt the trip in places capable of magnetizing your interest such as Pisco, Ayacucho or the furthest away Nazca. 

How to get around

Getting around downtown Cuzco is short and all in all you can rely on your feet although many of the streets are uphill.

By car

Renting a car makes sense above all to go for a walk around Cuzco rather than through the alleys of the center. Your own vehicle will allow you to save time and go to the discovery of the numerous villages that dot the sacred valley. An off-road vehicle will give you even more freedom. In Cusco you will find both international rental agencies such as Avis, and well-established national brands such as Localiza.

By bus

Most of the tourists who stop for a few days in Cusco and stay in the center, do not need to use the bus, and are happy to spare it.

However, if you are going to spend more time in Cusco, if you are an alternative traveler, or if you are interested in visiting places that are not directly in the center, the small buses that go around the city are the best, cheapest and most fun way. to move.

First of all, consider the fact that there is no public transport in the sense as we understand it: there is no single agency, whether public or private, dealing with transport in the city. Instead, there are many small transport companies, each company offers a specific route and has its own buses. The names of the companies are very imaginative.

The stops are recognizable by blue signs with the words "Paradero". The stops are very close to each other, and not difficult to find.

In general, the use of the bus is recommended for those who handle at least a little Spanish.

How to recognize the bus route?

This is the most difficult thing to get used to, but don't be too scared, if you are going to spend a period in Cuzco, you will learn quickly.

There are no signs with paths or internet pages. The fastest way to recognize the general bus route is to read the main stops on the side of the bus.

In addition, every time the bus approaches a stop, the route is shouted loudly by the conductor. You can ask him directly and very simply by naming the name of the street, the museum, the tourist center, the market (...) to which you have to go. The conductor will tell you if it is the right bus or not, and will surely be willing to tell you when to get off.

How do i pay?

There are no tickets. Payment is made directly on the bus, to the controller. You can give the money when you go down, or, if you need the change, a little earlier.

Main stops in the center and surroundings

• Maruri- drops you one minute from the main square, Plaza de Armas.
• San Francisco - San Francisco square, five minutes from Plaza de Armas, one from San Pedro market.
• Concevidayoq - street parallel to the square where the Mercado de San Pedro is located.

When you see that you have to get off, even if you don't know the name of the stop, it's not a problem, just say "baja" and the conductor will understand that you want to get off at the next stop.

Useful buses for tourist centers outside Cuzco

• El Señor del Huerto - will take you to all the archaeological remains found just outside Cuzco, up to the last one which is Tambomachay.
• El Cristo blanco - will drop you off in front of the entrance to the Cristo Blanco viewpoint, above Cuzco and next to the archaeological remains of Sacsaywaman.

By taxi

The means of transport most used by tourists who stop for a short time in Cuzco is the taxi. Taxis are also widely used by the citizens of Cuzco, so you can always be sure to find one anywhere and all night long. However, while most taxis are unofficial, it is recommended that you try to take those that are, which have a number on the side of the car and a sign with the name and number of the company above the roof of the car. The fares are very affordable, from 4 to 5 soles for an average journey during the day, in the evening and at night it can reach up to 10 soles.

To take a taxi, make it clear to the arriving taxi driver to stop by holding out your arm. When it stops, tell the destination and always ask for the price in advance! Prices do not go by the kilometer or by time but at fixed rates.

What see

The tourist office in Calle Mantas nº 117-A, proposes a tourist pass known as Boleto Turístico which allows access at a discounted price to museums and monuments both in and around Cuzco. Those who have a document certifying their qualification as a student are entitled to an additional discount

• -13.5163-71.97811 The Cathedral, Plaza de Armas. Mon-Sun 10: 00-18: 00. The cathedral occupies the site of the Kiswarkancha palace, erected in the 15th century as the residence of the Inca emperor Viracocha, which was demolished by the Spaniards to make way for the new Christian temple.

The interior of the cathedral is decorated with more than 400 canvases by artists from the 16th to the 18th century, members of the famous Cuzco school.  

• Iglesia del Triunfo. 
• -13.516041-71.9780622 Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia (Iglesia de Jesús, María y José).  
• -13.5174-71.97823 Church of the Compañía de Jesús.  

• -13.520111-71.9757224 Coricancha, Santo Domingo. Mon-Sat 08: 30-17: 30. the Inca temple dedicated to the divinity of the sun (Qoricancha or Coricancha), incorporated in the convent of San Domenico in turn transformed into a museum (Museo de Sitio de Qoricancha).  
• -13.51831-71.982075 Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, Plaza de San Francisco s / n. 
• -13.518431-71.9789846 La Merced (Templo de la Merced), Calle Mantas s / n. Erected in 1536, La Merced houses the mortal remains of the gods conquistadors Diego de Almagro and Gonzalo Pizarro. Sacred objects are exhibited in the sacristy.  
• -13.5174-71.9782127 Iglesia de San Blas.  
• -13.517496-71.9772678 Museum of the Monastério De Santa Catalina De Siena, calle Sta Catalina Angosta 401 (A couple of blocks west of the Plaza de Armas).  
• -13.515655-71.9782069 Inka Museum.  

• -13.515-71.977510 Pre-Columbine Museum of Art.  
• -13.516074-71.97637411 Museum of Religious Art (Religious Art Museum), Herrajes 38.  

Out of the center

• -13.507778-71.98222212 Sacsayhuamán. Mon-Sun 07: 00-17: 30.  
• -13.510556-71.97166713 Q'enqo (Kenko). Mon-Sun 09: 00-17: 45.  
• -13.483362-71.96180714 Pukapukara (Puca Pucara). Mon-Sun 07: 00-18: 00.  
• -13.480833-71.96472215 Tambomachay.  

These four archaeological sites are included in the tourist boleto general and are located in the hills behind Cuzco.

They can be visited independently or through a guided tour, which will take you around with a coach or small bus and will give you a short guided tour. If you have a guide with you that explains something, however, it is advisable to go independently, to be able to take the necessary time. The best way is to go up to Saksaywaman from the San Blas neighborhood, about 30 minutes uphill, with the help of a city map. After visiting this site, the largest and most interesting of the four, you can proceed towards Quenqo, a ten minute walk along the paved road. After visiting this site, you can take a bus, right in front of the entrance, ask quickly if it stops in Tambomachay, and when they said yes, in five minutes and with a Sol you arrived. In fact, the sites of Tambomachay and Pukapukara are practically opposite each other. To return, you can again take the bus and get off near the center. Another possibility is obviously to take the opposite route.

Events and parties

• Carnival. February March. 
• Semana Santa. 
• Señor de Torrechayoc. May. 
• Fiesta de las Cruces. May.  
• Inti Raymi. June 24. Feast in honor of the sun god (Inti) which occurs in conjunction with the winter solstice. The festivities last a week and include folkloric dances and costumed parades. 
• Corpus Christi. 
• Santuranticuy. 

What to do

Shopping

• -13.521163-71.9847131 Mercado de San Pedro, Cascaparo. Mon-Sun 06: 00-20: 00. The closest market to the center very popular with tourists and therefore also more expensive. Here you will find all the typical products of Cuzco (clothes, colorful alpaca sweaters, cases, bags, caps, gloves, figurines, bags ...), foodstuffs, flowers, herbs.

At the restaurants and market stands you can eat typical dishes at reasonable prices.  

• -13.52222-71.975282 Mercado Artesanal Qoricancha (Mercado Artesanal de Productores Inti Paqarek), Avenida el Sol (Ten minutes walk from the main square, going down towards the outskirts you will find it on the left.). This is the market of the artisans of Cuzco, many of whom then sell their products to all those shops that you find in the streets of Cuzco and that always sell more or less the same things. Nonetheless, here it is prices will be lower and you are more likely to buy directly from the manufacturer. 
• -13.51509-71.974233 Mercado de San Blas, Plazoleta San Blas. Fri-Sat. Small artisans' market in the Plazoleta San Blas, you will find fabrics, bags and jewelry made by local artisans. 

How to have fun

Where to eat

Average prices

• Greenpoint. 
• Tacomania. 

Where stay

Moderate prices

The center of Cusco is full of lively hostels of all kinds for all types of travelers, some have bars and activities every night, others are quieter and "limit" themselves to lovely panoramic terraces where breakfast is served.

Here are the links of some of the most popular hostels for party-goers backpackers, but none the less welcoming and interesting.

• -13.5149-71.98091 Hitchhikers Hostel, Calle Saphy 440, ☎ 51 84 260 079. 
• -13.515175-71.984382 Loki Hostal, Cuesta de Santa Ana 601, ☎ 51 84 243705. 
• -13.519565-71.9786883 Kokopelli, San Andrés 260, ☎ 51 84 315224. 

High prices

Here are some of the most important hotels in the center.

• -13.51739-71.975794 Novotel, Calle San Agustin 239, ☎ 51 84 581030. Perfect location five minutes from the main square. 
• Casa Andina. It has several offices in Cusco, the pleasure of choice is yours! 

Safety

How to keep in touch

Post office

• Serpost, Avenida El Sol. 

Around

• -13.163056-72.5455565 Machu Picchu —

• Sacred Valley of the Incas (El Valle Sagrado de los Incas) The stretch of the Urubamba river valley between the villages of -13.4213-71.85056 Písac is -13.253889-72.2636117 Ollantaytambo. A little beyond this last inhabited area is the site of Machu Picchu. Intermediate stages are -13.304167-72.1166678 Urubamba, -13.329253-72.1964429 Moray is -13.522778-73.72833310 Chincheros.

• -13.315556-71.59166711 Paucartambo —

• -13.570833-71.78305612 Tipón —

• -13.869534-71.3029613 Vinicunca - The Rainbow Mountain, a tourist attraction that has acquired more and more fame since 2010.

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Cuzco
• Commons contains images or other files on Cuzco
• Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Cuzco

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