We can't really talk about the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu without talking about the jump off city of Cusco. It is often considered the gateway to Machu Picchu and arguably one of the busiest tourist destinations in Peru, it sees almost 2 million travelers annually pass through the city on their way to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, or as a jumping off point for an number of other treks (Salkantay) and mountaineering adventures.
The indigenous name for the city is Qusqu, despite being used in the Southern Quechuan language, it actually has its roots in the Aymara language. The word Qusqu comes from the phrase qusqu wanka, which means "rock of the owl" and is related to the myth of the city's origins. In this myth, Ayar Awqa aqcuired wings and flew to the site of the future city, there he was transformed into a rock to mark his posession of the land. The Spanish conquistodors adopted the indiginous name and translated it into Spanish phonetics as Cuzco.
The Killke
The Killke people occupied the region from 900 to 1200 CE prior to the arrival of the Incas in the 13th century. Saksaywaman, a walled complex outside of Cusco has been carbon dated to about 1100 CE and was established by the Killke. The Incas later occupied and expanded the complex. In 2008, ruins of a temple, roadway and aqueduct system were discovered by archeologists.
The Incas
Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire (13th century - 1532), it is though that the city was planned to be in the shape of a puma, which was considered a sacred animal. How Cusco was built and how its large stones were quarried and transported to the site remain a mystery.
The Spanish Invasion
The Spanish arrived in Cusco in 1533 after the Battle of Cajamarca. While the layout and construction of the city impressed the Spanish, they also wasted no time in plundering the city for anything of value and destroying most of the religious edifices. The Spanish also destroyed a number of the Incan buildings and built their own structures on top of the ruins, the Spanish influence in architecture is especially noticeable in the neighborhoods of Santa Clara and San Blas.
See and Do
Explore the Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley also called the Urubamba Valley, is located 20km form Cusco, which makes it an easy day trip from the ancient Inca capital. Stretching from Pisac to Ollantaytambo, the Sacred Valley showcases a number of historical sites including then ruins at Ollantaytambo, the Pisac terraces, and the agricultural site at Moray. There are also chances to explore Andean culture in spots like Chinchero where you can take a deep dive into the traditional textiles. Like everything else in Peru, all the sites in the Sacred Valley aren't exactly close together, which makes it impossible to hit all of them in one day, if you have time I recommend spending a few days exploring everything the Sacred Valley has to offer. You can check find out more about the Sacred Vally's sights and Ashley and I's adventures exploring it in a day here.
Check out Machu Picchu
If you're not interested in taking the Inca Trail, Cusco is a great base for a day trip to explore
the ancient Incan city. With a daily train service running between Cusco and Aguas Caliente, it's easy to get there and back. There are three companies to choose from: PeruRail, Inca Rail, and Machu Picchu Train. PeruRail is the largest of the three companies and offers multiple tiers of cars to choose from including the luxury Vistadome Train which offers a panoramic view of the country side on the approximately 3 hour journey (each direction). Inca Rail also offers a variety of options for all budgets, from the budget Voyager Train to a First Class train and even a Private train option.
Saksaywaman
Another great day trip from Cusco is to the ruins at Saksaywaman. Sections of this site were first built by the Killke people and the site was later expanded on by the Incas. The ruins are located on a steep hillside that overlooks the city and offers a great view of the valley that sits to the southwest. The ruins include temples, a large plaza, and terraces, these ruins show off the craftsmanship of the killke with interlocking blocks of different shapes and rounded corners. The Spanish used Saksaywaman as a source of stone for building Spanish Cusco and within a few years most of the complex had been demolished and today the ruins that are still standing are the blocks that were too big to move.
Trekking
Peru is an amazing country for trekking and mountaineering, while most people automatically think of the Inca Trail when they think of trekking, the Cusco region has much more on offer for outdoor enthusiasts. Cusco extends through the Huatanay River Valley with the Cordillera Vilcabamba to the north and the Cordillera Vilcanota to the south east providing stunning trekking and mountaineering, it's no wonder there are so many trekking companies in Cusco! While the treks vary from beginner friendly to more appropriate for experienced trekkers, most of the mountaineering is geared towards more experienced climbers, but there are trekking companies that offer mountaineering courses for beginners who are looking to learn the basics of mountaineering. If you're after the Inca Trail experience, you can find our more about Ashley and I's experience on the trail here. A popular alternative to the Inca Trail is the Salkantay trek, which doesn't need to be booked months in advanced, this trek is on my itinerary for my next trip to Peru.
Rainbow Mountain
Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain is part of the Andes mountains in Peru and sits at 5,200
meters (17,060 feet) above sea level ( that's only about 400 meters lower than Everest base camp), pictures of this uniquely colored mountain blew up on social media in 2015 after melting snow (thanks global warming) revealed the striped colors of the mountain. Since 2015, Rainbow Mountain has become one of the most popular sights in the area with trips running daily. Due to its remote location, this location can only be accessed by a tour (or a private driver if your budget allows) the drive takes about 2 hours and is followed by an hour and a half hike that can be difficult due to the altitude. The payoff once you reach the view point is well worth the effort! You can find more details about hiking to Rainbow Mountain here.
Plaza de Armas & San Pedro Market
While Cusco is used by most travelers as a base for day trips or a pit stop to get acclimatized to altitude before setting out on the Inca Trail, the city still deserves a good mosey around. Like most cities in Peru, the main feature of Cusco is the Plaza de Armas . The current plaza was built by the Spanish on top of a much larger plaza that the Incas had previously built. Today the plaza is bustling center of activity and is used during major festivals and holidays for parades. It's also a prime area for street photography (if that interests you), and you can take in the impressive doors of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin. There are numerous restaurants and cafes located both in the plaza itself and in the streets surrounding it, if you're looking to book day trips or treks after arriving in Cusco you can find numerous tour operators in and around the plaza as well as shops offering any last minute gear you may need.
A short walk from the Plaza de Armas you'll find San Pedro Market, a vast indoor market
where you can find produce, small food stalls, and of course souvenirs. If you're looking for a taste of authentic Peruvian cuisine away from the touristy restaurants of the Plaza de Armas, San Pedro Market is an ideal place, while you won't find anything fancy or dishes aimed at travelers (alpaca steak), you will get a very budget friendly and hearty meal. If you're looking to pick up some souvenirs are there are a plethora of vendors offering them, you won't find anything particularly unique, but the prices are good and haggling seems to be expected.
Due to time constraints, Ashley and I only had 3 days in Cusco before heading out on the Inca Trail. Ashley and I took the overnight bus from Arequipa to Cusco and arrived bright and early around 6am, and since we had a limited amount of time in Cusco, we had our hostel arrange for a driver to take us to a few locations around the Sacred Valley that day. A trip to Rainbow Mountain was our activity for day two of our time in Cusco, this was pretty much a full days outing (3am - 3pm) after which we hung out in a cafe at the Plaza de Armas and did some last minute shopping
for things we might need for the Inca Trail (snacks and a rain jacket for me). On day three, we needed to check in with the trekking company for our Inca Trail adventure, and change the time on our return train tickets from Aguas Caliente as we were staying an extra day. After those tasks were accomplished we visited San Pedro Market and wandered around the city for a bit. The following day we left bright and early to head out on trek of the Inca Trail, while our time in Cusco was brief, we felt like we were able to maximize what we saw without running into exhaustion (I'd been traveling for a month already at that point). Whether you only spend a few days in Cusco to acclimatize to altitude before taking on the Inca Trail, or spend a more extended amount of time to explore the city and surrounding sights, the many charms of Cusco are sure to delight.
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