Things to see and do Cusco Region

From this balcony, perched at an altitude of 4,000 m, one enjoys an exceptional view of the equatorial forest and it is said that the sunrise, which suddenly emerges from its vegetal bed, is the most beautiful on the continent. It is necessary to find a taxi which agrees to make the journey at 3 am - it is relatively easy. The mirador is more than an hour away. During the months of May to July, the sky is painted with fuchsia, purple and bluish colors before the sun rises. On the winter solstice, if the sky is clear, the phenomenon is even more spectacular

The Putucusi is the summit that faces Machu Picchu on the other side of the Urubamba river and the railway. It was possible to climb it by a well marked path, but very sportive. The climbing was done by means of 7 bamboo ladders: you walk, you climb a ladder, you walk, you climb and so on. These ladders degrade quickly. Ask around, check or bring your own climbing gear. Allow about 2 to 3 hours of climbing for a beautiful panoramic view of the site. Be careful. Not recommended during rainy periods.

One hour from the village of Aguas Calientes in the direction of Hydroelectrica (or about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Hydroelectrica for those who come on foot) you will find Erwin's ecotourism project. This little piece of jungle with a waterfall at the end of the road is a nice place for those who don't have time to explore the selva peruana further. He has also set up a restaurant, a site to pitch a tent (with bathroom), a private bungalow and two rooms. Count on 1 to 2 hours of walking on the site. Many birds and hummingbirds.

Those who stay longer and like physical challenges will enjoy this 8 to 10 hour round trip hike. When the weather is good, a quite incredible show is offered to you: the 360° view on the mountains, the Veronica peak and this impeccable Inca door at the top. So there is not only the Door of the Sun of Machu Picchu, but also this one just as amazing. This confidential excursion is to be organized through an agency or a trusted driver.

The Templo de las Tres Ventanas, which adorns the main square, looks like a puzzle of incredible precision as the polygonal blocks fit perfectly together. These are the best-cut and largest stones on the site, the main wall being 8 metres wide and 10 metres high. The windows have a trapezoidal shape and niches were to allow to leave offerings. This place was obviously used for important ceremonies.

The Templo Principal, as its name suggests, would have been one of the most important ceremonial sites in the Inca city. With its back to the temple is the Casa del Sacerdote, a place where the priests kept the sacred ornaments used during the ceremonies. On the front of the temple there is a small carved stone that represents the Southern Cross. It is believed that Wiracocha, the creator of the universe and a key figure in the Inca pantheon, was honored here. It seems that this masterpiece was never fully completed.

The Montaña Machu Picchu requires a special entrance ticket. The ascent is less strong than in Wayna Picchu) and more lenient for the subjects to the vertigo, on the other hand it is more demanding, because the Montaña culminates in 3 082 meters, it is necessary to go through 650 meters of unevenness mainly in the form of steps. It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to get there and back. The view is wider: it embraces the site, the surrounding mountains and the rivers. Follow the yellow circuit 3. If you want to visit all the ruins you will have to foresee an additional entrance to Llaqta.

We detail here the program of the trek day by day if you organize it through an agency.

Day 1: Cusco - Calca - Lares.Transportation usually leaves early, around 5:30 am. You have breakfast in Calca (2,940 meters), still in the Sacred Valley, and then the road starts to climb. You will then pass by Totora and Maucaupata. After about 4 hours of travel, you will arrive at Lares (3,200 meters) where you can enjoy the thermal baths (entrance fee S/ 15). After lunch, you will start your walk and after about 4 hours of walking, you will reach the camp of Wacahuasi at 3 600 meters.

Day 2: Wacahuasi - Ipsaycocha - Patacancha.After breakfast you will start the trek towards the second camp. You will climb to the highest point of this trek, 4,450 meters, and will be able to observe the peaks of Pitusiray, Sawasiray or Chicon. You will arrive at the lagoon of Ipsaycocha where you will have lunch at 4,100 meters. From this point on, the rest of the trek is a long descent. Then, in the afternoon, you will reach Patacancha. Here you will meet communities that will show you their hand woven costumes. Patacancha is a community open to rural tourism. They also have homestays and weaving workshops. The agencies sleep in tents, a little away from the village.

Day 3. Patacancha - Willoq - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes.You will pass by the archaeological remains of Qochapata and Punamarca. You will walk on a rocky road with little traffic and will also take some remains of the Inca Trail. At the end of the morning you will reach Ollantaytambo and join the flow of tourists taking the train to Aguas Calientes. The trek is really 2 days/2 nights, the last day you will do very little walking. Lunch included and train ride.

Day 4. Machu Picchu. Visit the site and return by train to Ollantaytambo or Cusco.

Mountain Lodges of Peru has also set up its luxurious lodges here, which allow for a very comfortable trek. The 5 days-4 nights formula costs between 1990 and 2 650 US$, it includes the visit to the archeological site of Pisaq, the night in their lodge of Lamay, the trek of Lares with night in their lodge of Wacahuasi and finally 2 nights in very comfortable hotels of Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes, full board, visit to Machu Picchu and train of return A 7 days version allows to explore more the Sacred Valley and the villages and landscapes. Infos : mountainlodgesofperu.com

It is not just one but a group of constructions slipped in the middle of the rocks. Among them are some caves that will serve to exercise rituals. There is also the name that gives its name to this package: a stone cut in the center of a large patio where many guessing the traits of a condor. In the south of this stone there are houses reserved for elites with private access to one of the sources of Machu Picchu. Buildings were also found as small pens dedicated to the breeding of cuyes (guinea pigs).

It is a larger complex of the city with only one access door, it would be the Acllahuasi (house of elected women). These women devoted themselves to religious services and fine crafts. In a large room made of polished stones, two circular mortars(morteros) on the floor would have been used to grind grains. It is also thought that these carved bowls were filled with water so that the stars would be reflected in them. The place was used for rituals. The elite resided there.

The Torreon or Templo del Sol (which Bingham also called the "Royal Tomb") is located in the nobles' quarter. This conical tower made of finely worked blocks is accessed through a door with two posts. It seems that the place was used for the ceremonies that celebrated the June solstice. The small windows in the tower were used to measure the arrival of the solstices and therefore the changes of the seasons. A fire has left traces that are still visible. Under the large rock that supports the Torreon there is a small cavity that is thought to have been a mausoleum for mummies, like a secret cave. An altar carved in the shape of a chakana (Andean cross) and trapezoidal niches for offerings have been found there. In the tower there are several sacrificial altars. Nearby were 142 skeletons, presumably mostly female. The most common hypothesis is that they wereacclas, young girls sacrificed to celebrate the cult of the Sun. But a more recent study, conducted by the American John Verano by re-examining the human remains of the Peabody Museum of Yale, showed that it was a question of skeletons of both sexes and of any age. It was even whispered that here was the mummy of the famous Inca Pachacutec, but nothing has ever been proven. This symbolic place attracts the eye and suggests that the discreet entrance below could hold important treasures. Still a mystery in suspense.

This is the largest, best distributed and most finely executed of all the residential buildings. Its entrance door leads directly to the most important spring in the city and, on the other side, at the end of a large staircase, to the Templo del Sol. There are two rooms with monolithic lintels and polished stone walls. One of these rooms is a small outbuilding that had a direct exit to the water drainage channel. There is also an enclosure for camelids and a terrace.

It is a promontory that slightly dominates the other buildings. Terraces have been built on all four sides, forming a kind of pyramid with a polygonal base. There are two wide staircases to the north and south. The southern staircase is the most interesting, as most of the 78 steps are cut from a single stone. At the very top is the Intihuatana (Quechua for "the sun is attached") rock. The rock itself has a few steps so that the priest can access it and place his offerings.

This polygon-shaped stone is about 1 meter high and 2 meters in diameter, carved in one piece. Its different faces cast shadows in relation to the movement of the sun at different times of the year. This made it possible to predict climatic changes and therefore the important moments for agriculture throughout the year. The movement of the stars was also monitored. The shadow cast by the small central pillar was used to measure the passage of time. This is why it is also called "Inca sundial".

It is said that the Intihuatana stone radiates its own energy. In the past, one could put one's hands down to feel this power. Today, one must keep a distance of a few centimeters. Some theories speak of a vortex of energy on which would be built the city of Machu Picchu with in its center the Intihuatana. This undoubtedly adds to the mystique of the place.

Located in the top of the village, the thermal baths seem very tempting after the four days spent on the "Camino del Inca" and the tepid shower of your hotel, but beware of the mosquitoes... One can find more rustic thermal baths with charm in Colca or in Santa Teresa for example for those who do the Inca Jungle Trek. These are rather modern, but once in the sulphurous waters between 38 and 46 °C, you can get used to the panorama, the vegetation very close. Very busy in the evening. Less during the day.

Waqrapukara with its two towers that form like two peaks that dominate the valley impresses. The agencies leave Cusco between 4:30 and 5:00 am to reach the community of Pitumarka. On the way, we stop for breakfast in Cusipata. We continue for a few more unpaved kilometers and then we start the hike (2.5 km, about 1.5 hours) with ascents and descents, lagoons, and finally a viewpoint with a view of the Waqrapukara. Visit of the site. These landscapes blown by the wind are part of the reward. Return to Cusco around 6pm.

This tour that leaves from Cusco also stops at the archaeological areas of Killarumiyoc and Tarawasi. Once in Chonta, if the weather is clear, we can see the Salkantay and Huamantay glaciers. After walking for about 1 hour, we reach a privileged observation site that overlooks the canyon from 1,500 meters. The walk is on flat ground, on the side of the mountain (be careful with vertigo). Departure from Cusco around 8:30 am, lunch included, return around 8 pm. Take or rent binoculars.

There is an access to Machu Picchu Pueblo through the jungle, an alternative route that many travelers take backpack to avoid taking the train, but beyond that this road that plunges from the peaks to the hilly jungle is an experience that combines climates and landscapes. Here are the steps to follow:

Take a colectivo from the Quillabamba terminal in Cusco in direction of Santa María (4h drive and S/ 30), the best is to book your seats the day before. Then, take another colectivo to Santa Teresa (2h of track and S/ 10) for a splendid but dangerous road. The road has become more popular and there are also direct minivans to S/40. You can sleep in Santa Teresa in a basic hotel or in the Ecoquechua Lodge (www.ecoquechua.com) and enjoy the splendid thermal baths of Colcamayo (more beautiful than those of Aguas Calientes). Note that you can also do this part on foot: Inca trail, sublime hike along the river and coffee plantations. Those who want to try it also have the possibility of facing the course of zipline of Cola de Mono (www.canopyperu.com).

The idea is then to walk 2 hours to the Hydro Electrica water station (truck or colectivo go there for S/ 5 extra, but you might as well walk, the path is nice). In order not to take the wrong path, take the stairs down to the river, then cross it with the elevator. Just in case, a wooden bridge allows you to cross the riverbut much further on the right.

Finally, remain 10 km along the rail road (in fact, one walks even on it, there is no path, then be vigilant to the possible passages of trains and attention to the fragile ankles) until Aguas Calientes. It is necessary to walk in the power station by borrowing the metallic bridge to join the railroad. Be careful: you should not follow the track below, but, when you approach the exit of the power station, take a small path which leaves on the right between the trees: you join another track, which is the good one. After approximately 2 hours of road, you will reach the Ruinas bridge which marks the entrance to Aguas Calientes .

This route is also sold by the agencies under the name of Jungle Trail in formula 4 days-3 nights. Descent by mountain bike and rafting. Night in Santa María. Hiking. Night in Santa Teresa. Zipline and walking. Night in Aguas Calientes. Visit to Machu Picchu. Return train to Ollantaytambo.

This Inca site protected Cusco. It is the most important of the circuit of the 4 ruins above the city. If you have time to see only one site, let it be this one. It is also easier to reach it by foot being the closest to the city. From the fortress, you have a unique panoramic view of the city. The walls are on three levels representing the three worlds (above, men, and below) and are shaped like a huge zigzag: in this sanctuary was honored the lightning. The stones exactly adjusted, to the multiple angles, to the smooth curves, being able to reach 5 m of height and to weigh until 360 t, were brought from a quarry exploited on the other side of the hill (unheard of performance when we know that the Incas knew neither the horse nor the wheel). Access doors and flights of stairs lead to the religious sector where two stone altars appear, the foundations of the Torreón, a circular watchtower where we can see perfectly the channels of water conveyance that fed it, carved in the rock.

Separated from this gigantic complex by an esplanade where the Inti Raymi is celebrated (festival of the Sun celebrated on June 24) is the rocky hillock polished by the use and strangely striated from where the Inca presided over the ceremonies from the top of his stone throne. Further on, between the tombs, around the circular reservoir discovered in 1986, wind the chincanas, underground passages dug in the earth or the rock and supported by adobe walls.

At 500 m from Saqsayhuamán, this important sanctuary is especially noteworthy for its construction torn from the cold granite. In the center of the amphitheater where nineteen niches are carved in the rock, a monolithic idol displays its feline form, symbol of fertility. Beneath the huge boulder is a sanctuary with a sacrificial altar and throne. On the summit, other seats and thrones surround a zigzagging channel, evoking lightning or a snake. All around are the terraces that the Incas and their predecessors used for cultivation.

It is at 200 m from the fort of Puka Pukará that the Inca went to bathe, it is believed, in a temple dedicated to the cult of water. The superimposed fountains where the precious liquid gushes out in large crystalline bubbles all year round, the aqueducts, the canals, the terraces and the superb stone walls make this place a magical haven in the surrounding aridity. It is easy to understand why the sons of the Sun used to rest here. Very well preserved, it complements the visit of the fortress of Saqsayhuaman and is integrated into the circuit of the 4 ruins.

Awana Kancha is a museum located in Pisac, near Cusco. It is a terraced farm housing alpacas, llamas and vicuñas, where visitors can observe these animals up close. The site also has a store selling products made from their fur. Awana Kancha offers several attractions, including a South American camelid interpretation center, where visitors can learn more about the history of these animals and their role in Peruvian culture. There's also a Peruvian Textile Interpretation Center, where visitors can learn about the different fibers used to make textiles and the traditional tools used by pre-Columbian cultures. The site also features a natural dyeing room, where you can observe the process of dyeing animal fibers. Finally, there's a store where visitors can buy locally-made textile products.