WHERE TO GO CUSCO
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PLAZA DE ARMAS
The Plaza de Armas is the cultural heart of Cusco. In Inca times, the square was called Huacaypata, and it was the main stage for the Inca Empire’s most important rituals. Today, the Plaza de Armas exemplifies the city’s hybrid architecture where pre-Columbian, colonial, and modern histories are layered one on top of the other. Lining the plaza are several restaurants and bars which are perfect for spending a relaxing afternoon people-watching as you adjust to the altitude.
SAN BLAS NEIGHBORHOOD
The picturesque Plazoleta San Blas is home to San Blas Church and a quaint collection of whitewashed adobe buildings embellished with cobalt blue balconies and red-tiled roofs. This is the heart of Cusco’s bohemian neighborhood, which has existed as a zone for artisanry since the time of the Inca Empire. Today, it remains the preferred residence of local artists who open their workshop stores to visitors eager to see their religious sculptures, gold and silver metalwork, woodwork, and more
CUSCO CATHEDRAL
The history of colonial Cusco goes hand-in-hand with its churches, and none is more iconic than the Cusco Cathedral. It was built on the site of an Inca palace, using stones from that palace and Sacsayhuaman. Construction for the church began in 1560 and was completed nearly 100 years later in 1656. Inside, there are many works from the famed Escuela Cuzqueña (School of Religious Art), including a painting of the Last Supper, attributed to the native artist Marcos Zapata, which features a traditional Andean plate of cuy (guinea pig) on the table.
QORICANCHA
Santo Domingo Church encloses one of Cusco’s most impressive Inca ruins, the Coricancha or Temple of the Sun. According to chronicles written after the Spanish conquest, it was the largest and most opulent temple in all of South America, filled with gold, silver, and precious jewels. Inca oral traditions indicate that the temple, dedicated to the worship of Inti, the sun god, was built during the reign of Manco Capac in the 12th century atop a pre-existing temple. Beginning in 1536, Santo Domingo Church was built upon the ruins of the Coricancha, but tantalizing vestiges of the former Inca temple were kept intact. The most intriguing feature is an exceptionally well-crafted semicircular wall that’s visible from Avenida El Sol.
SACSAYHUAMAN
The Sacsayhuaman ruins are on a hill overlooking Cusco and rise in front of a vast esplanade the length and width of four football fields. The original Inca-built walls were 10 feet (3 meters) taller. On the topmost platform were three circular towers. The gargantuan scale of Sacsayhuaman’s zigzagging, terraced walls will make your jaw drop, even more, when you realize they represent just a fraction of the original site.
INKA MUSEUM
Museo Inka showcases the history of the Inca civilization through various displays of ceramics, textiles, mummies, jewelry, qeros (drinking vessels), and more. Learn about the mythical origins of the Inca Empire, the history of pre-Inca and Inca settlement in and around Cusco, and the different ecological zones from the jungle to the high altitude plains that were connected by ancient trade networks
SAN PEDRO MARKET
Mercado de San Pedro has gained popularity with foreign visitors, but the market continues to be an excellent way to observe daily life at the market in Cusco. Among the sights you’ll see are locals eating lunch at their favorite restaurant-kiosk and vendors selling towers of fruits and vegetables, wheels of cheese, and alpaca knit sweaters. If you want to buy some souvenirs, remember that it is customary to barter at the market (when there is no price tag) and negotiate the price down a few soles.