Things to see and do Cusco Region

The fortress of Ollantaytambo, which blocked the access to the Sacred Valley in direction of Cusco and Machu Picchu, was not finished when Pizarro landed, as the blocks scattered on the ground testify. The summit is reached through a series of agricultural terraces by a particularly steep staircase. A ten-niche temple housing the mummies overlooks the Temple of the Sun, made up of six gigantic monoliths weighing around fifty tons (we still wonder how they were hoisted up there). Higher up, adobe and dry-stone dwellings merge with the rock and a walkway runs around the spur to other dwellings, with, at the bottom, pools and baths fed by channels cut into the rock (some stones bear scratches, traces of the cutting). On the mountain opposite, where you can see the face of a strange bearded man, the military school and the prison mark the limits of the settlement. It is also possible to go there and access it freely for those who have not paid the boleto turistico, it is called Pinkuylluna. The citadel is entered and exited through two monumental gates in the adobe and rough stone walls. A craft market has been established in the square below the site.

A visit with impact, because the fortress is literally embedded in a circus of rocks and the higher you go, the more the landscape opens up. A magical experience.

The site of Pisaq is a good alternative for those who are put off by the oppressive mass of tourists flocking to Machu Picchu. If you go to the site early enough, you will have the chance to be almost alone and you may see hummingbirds gorging on cantuta in the thickets, in which case you should make the opening. Ideally, you should be able to visit the archaeological site in the afternoon against the flow of the rest of the tourists. Most of the tour agencies make several visits in the Sacred Valley and start with Pisaq.

Smaller, but no less incredible, these ruins offer an equally fantastic dive into Inca culture. From the village, the ascent allows to discover little by little the valley and the confluence of the Urubamba river and its tributary the Wilcamayu, by taking the path that leaves next to the church of the Plaza de la Constitucion (at the gatehouse, you show your boleto). You will discover steep terraces (still cultivated) that make you dizzy. These terraces were first dug to stabilize the mountain. Then they were cultivated. After having gone along them, we discover the ingenious system of canalisations, and before arriving at Pisaqa (where the food of the citadel city was stored), we notice on the right many holes in the mountain. It is in reality the cemetery (vertical) of the city. If you look carefully, you can see (on the right) a small building where a mummy was recently found! This young woman was on her knees, her hands clenched as if from scratching. It is assumed that she had been badly drugged, that she woke up and died of suffocation.

Nearby, a path leads to two high adobe houses with cane roofs. Higher still, the ceremonial centre of Intihuatana wraps its carved stone walls around the Temple of the Sun, enclosing the solar calendar. The end of the tunnel cut into the mountain can be seen, only to be passed in single file and broken in two; this improbable access made the temple unreachable. Beyond is a complex called Q'allaq'ana, with pools and fountains, and then the residential area of Q'anchisraq'ay, entirely fortified with a crenellated wall. If you have less time, a good idea is to take a taxi up to the village and walk back down. The magic of the site lies in its size and its harmony with the surrounding landscape.

The Sunday market is worth a visit. In the lower part of the village, there is a bit of bartering between colors and strong scents (coca, muña, hierba luisa, rudas, as many plants to be infused), but tourism changes the deal. In the upper part, on the vast square of the white church with its Inca walls, the handicraft merchants. What remains of authenticity is expressed in the palavers, accompanied by force chicha, between the Indians in traditional dress. Underneath are the terraces where visitors stroll. Small museum on site, entrance S/ 7.

The convent was built above the Qoricancha, the gold district in Quechua, whose temple of the Sun occupied, in the feline configuration of the city, the sex. Embellished by Pachacútec, the temple, from the top of its promontory, dominated a series of terraced gardens whose upper platform served as a foundation for the various temples dedicated to the deities: Sun, Stars, Moon, Rainbow... In the middle stands, mute, a ceremonial fountain made of massive stone. The whole, embedded in the convent, is the most beautiful example of the building skills of the Incas. It is a pity that the church built above it by the conquistadores has somewhat dulled the Inca work. But one cannot but be transported by the sober beauty of the temples of the Sun (Inti), of the Moon (Qilla) and of Venus (Chaska), daughter of the previous ones. The interior of all the temples was covered with gold leaf - silver for that of the Moon - and contained, it is assumed, the mummies of the wives and concubines of the sons of the Sun. The gardens were decorated with gold figurines that the conquistadores hastened to melt into ingots. Built immediately after the conquest, Santo Domingo was destroyed by the earthquakes of 1650 and 1950. It was during the latter earthquake that the fragments of the ancient temples were discovered. Of the church, the baroque bell tower from the 17th century is worth mentioning and, in the cloister, the pinacoteca with its colonial paintings.

Wayna (or Huayna) Picchu is the famous peak that appears on all the postcards behind the ruins as if to enclose the landscape. This point of observation (2 693 m) in steepness costs some cold sweat and a good cardio, but offers an exceptional view on the main monuments and alleys. Count on 1h30 to 2h round trip along the numerous steps dug in the mountain, people who are afraid of heights should not go. It remains our favorite. Follow the light blue circuit 4. If you want to visit all the ruins, it will be necessary to envisage an entry Llaqta in more.

Unfortunately one cannot undertake the excursion alone (the rules and controls are very strict) and the assistance of an agency is obligatory. Those follow one another on the Plaza de Armas of Cusco and in the calle Plateros, but attention, the prices are according to the service. It is necessary to count approximately 600 US$ for the 4 days of hike (40 km), without forgetting the tip for your companions, but that includes the trains, entries, visit of the site. Be sure to check which services are included or not.

It is highly recommended to book in advance, as the number of hikers on the trail is limited to 500 people (including porters) per day. Don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Best season is from May to August for an arrival under the sun.

As a reminder, previously it was possible to reach the Sun Gate from the archaeological site, since the pandemic this access has not been reopened to visitors with a classic entrance. Its access is therefore reserved only to the walkers of the Camino Inca.

To travel serenely, do not hesitate to leave your luggage and your money at the hotel, but do not forget to take your passport, indispensable to enter the site of Machu Picchu. In addition, you will be able to stamp it on your way out to show off to your friends!

Circuit of 4 days

For this mythical walk rich in emotions, it is necessary to foresee four days and three nights, so much this way that followed the "chasquis", estafettes assuring the communications between the cardinal points of the empire, is marked by History. The major part of the way is paved and in good condition, with, at the end, the reward that makes forget all the fatigues: Machu Picchu! The route itself, which begins in the sierra and emerges in the selva, impresses by the efflorescence of the vegetation and by the lakes and mountains that seem to have been sown there, for the only pleasure of the hiker. The vegetation all along the route shows off its finery: puyas, orchids, fragrant essences (cedar, eucalyptus, laurel), and if you are lucky, you may see an otter, a puma or a parrot. Hummingbirds also show up very often.

The groups are generally constituted of 10 to 15 people, including an experienced guide knowing the vegetation and the History of the Incas, porters and cooks who, very often, are the same. The porters do a lot of work: they have to arrive before you at the sites to set up camp and prepare the meal, and then, once you have left, they have to break camp and run (with at least 20 kg on their backs) to overtake you and set up the next camp before you arrive. These porters will prepare balanced and varied meals (from trout to chicken to spaghetti bolognaise), always with a soup as a starter and a mate de coca (coca leaf infusion) for dessert.

This mate is absolutely essential to alleviate the inevitable breathing problems.

At km 88, the train (or the bus) abandons its load of hikers - it is necessary to be ready, because the convoy stops only one small minute - before plunging in a tunnel and continuing its smoky and rattling road. We cross the roaring Urubamba river by a suspension bridge and we begin the walk on the most popular trekking path of America. 3 km further on, we are already in the heart of the matter with the archaeological site of Llaqtapata, that is to say one hundred dwellings of different architecture, a trapezoidal square and buildings with two floors. The most remarkable is constituted by a succession of stone terraces stretched on 2 km. It would be a pity, in the excitement of the beginning of a journey that promises to be exciting, to neglect Llaqtapata. But already the path becomes very steep before stabilizing; the soft hum of the fresh Kusichaka river alleviates the first burns to the lungs, and the shade of the trees soothes the walker.

3h30 after having left the train to its parallel destiny, we see, at 2 770 m of altitude, the houses of Wayllabamba, unique village on the route, in a valley where the irrigation canals and the inca terraces go up to the conquest of the slope.

It is time to breathe and to choose between going to Llulluchapampa - it will then be necessary to walk 2 hours more - or to stay in Willabamba to rest. At this stage, we are facing a big physical challenge: to leave the valley to climb by the Hatun Wayruro stream and to pass the pass of Warmihuanusqa. The next day, when we leave, the landscape changed: the short grass, dried by the cold winds, took the place of the forest. When we reach the pass, we are at 4 200 m, culminating point of the way of the Inca (part not to be underestimated). The ground becomes very steep (difference in level of almost 1,000 m) in the descent (attention to the knees!) until the Pacamayu river, border between sierra and selva, territory of the mosquitoes. After lunch, as a way of digestion, we climb to the ruins of Runkuraqay, a place of observation and sanctuary whose walls have defied the centuries.

The glance thrown back catches the snowy summit of the Verónica and slides, in the east, on the green carpet of the tropical forest. From this moment, the walk becomes a real pleasure: we only have to go down towards the "lost city". At 3 500 m, Sayaqmarka spreads out its alleys, houses, fountains and pre-Hispanic channels. We camp near the walls, because here the sunset is absolutely extraordinary. A lake on the right, flowers everywhere and the picture is complete. The way becomes then a reality of stone facilitating the approach of Machu Picchu. We bathe there in full mystery, in the middle of the clouds, between the buildings of Phuyupatamarca, center of distribution of inca food. The complex owes its name to the profusion of orchids which grow there in big number, all the year. Borrowing the way of the Inca that connects Phuyupatamarca to Winay, "young woman" in Quechua, we go along an interesting set of houses and fountains. Further, we plant the tent to 4 hours of walk of the Inti Punku, door of the Sun, for the third and last night under the stars, the head already to the Machu Picchu so close and that we will be among the first to visit, before the arrival of the buses..

It is here that you will find the other groups for a big feast, a shower (without hot water, but that makes good nevertheless) and that you will thank the carriers and cooks to have accompanied you. The next morning, wake up at 3:30 am for the last walk, even the race, until the door of the Sun from where we will watch its rising on the marvelous Inca city. A reward which redeems a very legitimate tiredness. This arrival by the Door of the Sun at this hour is savored. Then, with slow steps, we approach the descent towards the heart of the ruins and participate in a traditional visit. You will go back down by shuttle to join the crowd of the tourists to Aguas Calientes and you will realize the great privilege to make its entrance on such a mythical site on foot.

Circuit of 2 days

This option is very interestingfor those who do not feel the physical strength of a too intense trek and hard nights, but want to enjoy the landscapes. We take a train early in the morning, we get off at Km 104 and we do the whole last part of the Camino Inca. Elevation changes, steps and ascents and descents. We arrive by the Door of the Sun at the end of the afternoon to discover a more quiet site since we arrive little before its closing. Then we will go up the next morning (after having spent the night in a real bed) for the guided tour of the next day. So we see Machu Picchu twice, at two different hours of the day and probably under two different lights and atmospheres. It is necessary to go through an agency, the quotas are regulated, but with the rules of visit hardened it is a good solution to enjoy it more. The all-inclusive price with train, walk, entrance fees, visit, night, train back is still high, about 400 US$, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

This is probably the most touristy pedestrian street in the city, but it is not to be missed. When you take Calle del Triunfo and head towards San Blas, it opens onto the Palacio Arzobispal. Very narrow, we go along its high walls and then we pass, at number 451, in front of the famous "stone of the twelve angles" where an Inca is planted to take the picture. Immediately after, on the right, we take the Pasaje Inca Roca where there are two other beautiful walls of the ancient palace of this sovereign. A lot of handicrafts at very cheap prices in this zone.

It is the first stage south of Cusco of the Ruta del Barroco Andino which opened the doors of the churches of Huaro and its demonic frescoes (including The Last Judgment) and Canicunca. It is obviously the masterpiece. We strongly recommend a visit, because under this modest white temple hides a small marvel of colors, gildings and drawings intended to evangelize the local people. It is much more touching than the cold and pompous Cathedral of Cusco.

Under the name Pinkullyuna, the ruins in height are referred to as those of Ollantaytambo, which we see on the right of the village. In fact, the agricultural warehouses at the time. This climb is worth the trouble because at the end of 1 h 30 we offer a magnificent view over Ollantaytambo village and its fortress. And there's almost nobody. Take Calle Lares, right just before the Plaza, follow and you will find an open door on the mountain, stone staircases and a sign indicating «Pinkullyuna - hours of visits 7 h -16 h 30». Free.

This small church, the oldest in Cusco, dates from 1536. It houses a priceless cedar pulpit, carved in a single piece, which took its creator, Diego Tomás de Cerda, twenty-five years of work. The work, purely baroque, is a firework display of swollen cherubs, chubby cherubs, grimacing monsters and climbing flora. The main altar, by Mateo Tuyro Túpac, and the beautifully carved balcony are also worth seeing. This small church on the Plaza San Blas is often neglected, wrongly so.

Begun in 1564, the cathedral was completed a century later. The pink volcanic stones of its façade were taken from the citadel of Saqsayhuamán. The sober Renaissance façade contrasts with the busy plateresque style of the interior. In the shape of a Latin cross, the building has a chapter house, three naves, a sacristy and no less than ten side chapels, all of which are adorned with carved cedar objects (gilded with gold leaf or embossed silver) and nearly 400 painted canvases. In the side chapels there is a stone altar and the nave where Inca Garcilaso de la Vega is buried. The name of one of the chapels (triumph) comes from the Virgen del Triunfo who would have saved the lives of 200 Spaniards during the siege of Cusco by Manco II.

The cathedral has a 17th century choir, whose cedar seats are true works of art. Here the styles clash but dazzle: rococo central altar of the Santísima Trinidad, Churrigueresque altarpieces, baroque pulpits... In the chapels, the profusion of paintings of the school of Cusco (Sinchi Roca, Marcos Zapata and Diego Quispe Tito) transforms the cathedral into a museum (note the painting entitled the Ultima Cena, where appears a cuy, symbol of syncretism). El Señor de los Temblores shows a Christ whose face is blackened by the smoke from the candles that burn constantly nearby. The centrepiece of the church is a 22-carat gold monstrance, 1.2 m high, weighed down with more than 2,000 precious stones and weighing 27 kg.

This private museum is undoubtedly the richest of Cusco. On two floors, it takes us into the world of pre-Columbian civilizations in a seductive way, each of the rooms recreating the atmosphere of the dedicated civilization. The Sala Formativa exhibits ceramics from the Cupisnique and Pacopampa eras (from 1250 BC to the present day); the Sala de Madera, sculptures of wooden gods from the Chimú and Inca civilizations (1300-1532 AD); the Sala Nazca, Nazca vases and sculptures (1 to 800 AD); the Sala Mojito, the Sala de Málaga, and the Sala de MálagaC.); the Sala Mochica (1 to 800 A.D.), frightening bottles with owl heads mounted on pumpkin bodies; the Sala Huari (800 to 1300 A.D.), ceramics and terracotta objects on the theme of women and fertility; the Sala Chancay-Chimú (1300-1532 A.D.), bottles with heads of owls mounted on pumpkin bodies; the Sala Chancay-Chimú (1300-1532 A.D.), ceramics and terracotta objects on the theme of womenC.), bottles with bird heads; the Sala Inca (1300-1532 AD), musical instruments (ocarinas in the shape of shells), tools of war but also impressive basins of imposing size; the Sala de Conchas Marinas, all kinds of mochica jewels (1 to 800 AD) made of shells and other materialsC.) made of shells and shark bones, all in an atmosphere of marine funds; the Sala de Plata, brooches and ceremonial jewels skilfully worked by the Chimú, who knew how to combine aesthetics and usefulness; finally, the Sala de Oro, jewels, weapons and vicús crowns (- 1200 to our era). Visit strongly recommended.

The Salkantay trek has been proposed for several years as an alternative to the Camino Inca. Be careful, you will not arrive on the ruins of Machu Picchu at the end of the trek but in the village of Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu Pueblo, like everybody else. On the other hand you will have lived an intense trek, in the heart of wild landscapes and as diverse as the geography of the country between snow-covered summits and undulating jungle.

Here is below the classic route:

Day 1: Cusco-Mollepata-Salkantay-Challway. Departure early in the morning. After 4 hours of travel, arrival at Mollepata. The trek begins in the heart of a green valley, in Soraypampa (3 700 m). You can already see in the distance the snowy peaks like the Humantay (5 217 m) and the Salkantay (6 264 m). This day is the most demanding as it is the day when we cross the highest point of the circuit, the 4,600 meters. The trek begins with a 2 hour climb surrounded by sublime landscapes. You will probably have the chance to see condors above your heads. Night under the tent next to the Andean terraces of Challway at 3 500 m. Depending on the agency, mules and porters can be provided.

Day 2. Challway-La Playa-Lucmabamba. You will enter a mountainous jungle area and descend more and more towards the heat. You will see the orchids, the dense vegetation and the families that live in the area. You will go along the Salkantay river and then Santa Teresa and Totora. The path is mainly downhill. The camp around La Playa is often very full. We recommend you to join the^2nd camp, Lucmabamba at 2 100 meters and more quiet.

Day 3 Lucmabamba-Llactapata-Hidroelectrica-Aguas Calientes. Here again, not all of us make this detour by Llactapata but it is the option that we recommend you. It will be necessary to go up but it is to borrow the rests of an Inca Trail through the plantations of coffee, bananas, avocados... The ascent requires 3 to 4 hours of walking until the highest point of the trail, Llactapata, at 2 700 m. Absolute reward: if the weather allows it, you will be able to enjoy a view on the ruins of Machu Picchu, certainly distant but the perspective by good weather is magic. It will remain you 2 hours of descent until Hydroelectrica. From here you can take the train for a 45 minutes trip through the jungle (tickets on the spot) or follow the rails (about 2 hours along the railroad). Overnight stay in one of the many hostals or book your own if you want more comfort.

Day 4. Visit of Machu Picchu. Then train and return to Cusco.

In this quiet square, note the carved colonial porticos and the walls of the Yachayhuasi, or Temple of Knowledge, which form part of the façade of the Las Nazarenas church. We then pass by the Calle de las Siete Culebras and the Casa de las Serpientes. The imposing Casa Cabrera, belonging to the Banco Continental, was built in 1534 and houses the MAP. You can visit the 17th century church of San Antonio Abad,, with its elaborate doorway, as well as the monastery occupied by the luxurious Hotel Monasterio (free admission, see reception).

This is a church founded by the Franciscans in 1645, two facades and one steeple, in the purest colonial style: carved wooden chorus and chairs and chair impregnated with ivory. In the gallery, paintings of the most famous names of Cusco school (Quispe Tito, Santa Cruz, Sinchi Roca, Zapata) and the immense painting 12 m on 9 m, painted by Juan Espinoza de los Monteros and tracing the genealogy of the Franciscan'family ', are noted.

Dating from 1576, this church was built by the Jesuits, to overshadow the cathedral, on the site of the Amarukancha, the palace of Wayna Cápac. It is considered the finest achievement of colonial religious architecture in the Americas. Its baroque facade of carved stone is magnificent. With a single nave, topped by two bell towers, it houses a dome and a gilded altar, an underground chapel, crypts, secret passages and hidden stairways. From its bell tower, there is a superb view of the Plaza de Armas. We recommend.

The church is reached by climbing the hill through the narrow streets of San Blas. The Catholic temple is located on the remains of the Colcampanta palace, built during the reign of Pachacútec, of which a double wall with niches and a door can still be seen. Made of adobe, except for the 18th century stone bell tower, San Cristóbal lights up at night, watching over the Plaza de Armas. The square is a lookout point from which much of the city can be seen. The bell tower offers an even more impressive view, but only for those who have paid the boleto religioso.

Point of sale of boleto turistico also.