Located 3,400 meters above sea level, Cusco is literally a high point in Peru. But above all, Cusco was a big surprise: what a nice city! I would even venture to say that Cusco is in my top 5 most fun cities in the world. During our 2.5 weeks of travel through Peru, we spent 1.5 weeks in Cusco, of which we did hike the 5-day Salkantay Trek in between. And I could have stayed there even longer. There is so much to do and see and the scenery is spectacular. Also, of course, Cusco is the base for Machu Picchu. In this article I’ll tell you about what we did in Cusco, including practical tips.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cusco is the Inca capital of the world and the archaeological highlight of South America. With about 500,000 inhabitants, Cusco is Peru’s third largest city and precisely because of the history of the Incas, the most touristy. In the 16th century, Cusco was conquered by the Spanish. Before this time, the city was the cultural and religious center of the Inca Empire. The Incas gave the city the shape of a puma and built many temples, such as those for the moon goddess Quilla and the sun god Inti.<\/p>\n
It was not until the year 1911 that the Inca city of Machu Picchu was discovered near Cusco. Which led to many foreign visitors. Several major earthquakes destroyed large parts of the city. The most famous powerful earthquakes date back to the year 1950, which killed many residents and required large parts to be rebuilt. Fortunately, the Inca walls and historic center remained intact. In 1983, that historic center was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.<\/p>\n\n\t\t