CUSCO TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Cusco is one of the cities that will surely pass if you are traveling the country. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Peru, we advise you to spend a few days to enjoy not only some of its essential visits, such as the Church of Santo Domingo and Qorikancha or its famous San Blas neighborhood, but also to lose you for its Streets, one of the best ways to know and live Cusco.
Church of Santo Domingo and Qorikancha
Few places in Cuzco are more known and more important than the Church of Santo Domingo and Qorikancha, you can even read in many places that if you should choose a single place to visit in the city, that should be, without a doubt, this.
The entrance costs 10 soles per person that give access to what was once the most impressive temple of the Inca empire.
Qorikancha are the foundations of the present church and of the convent of Santo Domingo, which formerly, in the time of the Incas, housed Qorikancha or golden courtyard in Quechua language, name that refers to its walls covered with gold.
To this day many of the gold treasures that were in the interior have been looted even some of them cast in ingots after the arrival of the conquerors.
Once inside Qorikancha we find a patio, where in the center we can see a fountain that in its greatest moment of splendor was covered by 55 kilos of gold.
On the sides of this courtyard we will find the Inca chambers, where one of them was covered with silver and housed the temple of the moon and stars. One of the details that you should not let pass is the way in which the blocks of stone are fixed with each other. You can even run your fingers through some of them to see that it is virtually impossible to notice the joints between them.
Do not miss the viewpoint, from where you will have fabulous views of Cuzco from a different perspective than usual.
After the visit to Qorikancha do not forget to enter the Church of Santo Domingo, located right next door and belonging to the previous one.
At the entrance we can see some photographs of the catastrophe that took place here during the earthquakes of 1650, 1950 and the last one in 1986.
In the interior you can not take pictures, so it's worth going awake to be able to keep that memory forever in the retinas.
San Blas neighborhood
Coming to Cuzco and not walking in the San Blas neighborhood is like not having been in Cuzco.
We always say that if you really want to fall in love with Cuzco, you must come to this part of the city.
Yes it is true that it is one of its most touristic places, but you only have to wait until late afternoon or get lost by some of the less traveled streets to enjoy an unforgettable day in one of the most bohemian and special areas of the city.
To access the Barrio de San Blas you must pass by Cuesta de San Blas, another of the essential in this area that will give us fantastic views of the city as we go up. Even from here, we can admire the figure, in the distance, of Christ the Redeemer.
Once we reach the end of the hill we arrive at the Plaza de San Blas, where we can find the church of the same name, which with its simple exterior, seems to want to hide an incredible interior that you can not miss.
This is a place worth spending a few hours, enjoying the hundreds of craft shops we can find and of course, delighting in the views from the Mirador de San Blas, another of the places you can not miss in This area of Cusco.
And if you had not had enough with everything you've seen in the Barrio de San Blas, when you are back on the Cuesta de San Blas, do not forget to stop at one of the most tourist attractions in the city, The stone of 12 faces, located in the street Hatunrumiyoc, where any tourist who deserves to be photographed next to her.
Parade ground
The Square Cusco is undoubtedly the center and heart of the city. You will probably spend several times a day during your stay in Cuzco, something more than recommended as it is an ideal place to enjoy the different shades of the sun as the day passes.
In the northeast we find the Cathedral, the main attraction of the place, where we can find in its stairs both locals and tourists who take advantage of them to rest in front of an exceptional view.
In the southeast area we find the Church of the Company of Jesus, struck hard in the earthquake of 1650 and rebuilt during the 1660s, which is often confused with the Cathedral, as it has a very ornate façade.
In the center of the Main Square we will find some gardens, with benches, ideal to enjoy a rest after a long day knowing the city.
Another ideal moment to get to the Plaza de Armas of Cuzco is when the sun has already hidden, at which time it is illuminated.
Cuzco streets
While it is true that we can not consider the streets of the city as a specific place, we believe that these are an essential visit in Cuzco alone, to which we must devote much of our time if we want to know the soul of the city .
Which are the most important places of Cusco:
- Calle Loreto: Right next to the Main Square, we find this street, also known as Callejón del Sol, where we can enjoy an exquisite stonework.
- Cuesta de San Blas: Steep street from which we access the Barrio de San Blas,
Where we can find innumerable craft shops, restaurants and cafes, making this area one of the most tourist places in the city. - Hatunrumiyoc Street: Located in the Barrio de San Blas, this street is where the famous stone of 12 faces is located.
- Calle 7 windows: Connecting Chihuanpata street with Cuesta de San Blas, this alley located a convent with 7 windows, which today is a hotel, which has only 7 stained glass windows.
- Seven Snakes: Alley coming out of Plaza Nazarenas, where we can find 14 snakes, 7 on each side of the alley.
- Avenue The Sun: This is the busiest street in cusco. it leaves from the main square and arrives until pumaqchupan.
- Around Cuzco: Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Qenqo, Cristo Blanco and Sacsayhuaman If there is something that we can not miss in Cuzco are its surroundings.
Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Qenqo, Cristo Blanco and Sacsayhuaman are essential visits in the city.
We recommend that you make these visits by free and on foot. Perhaps this is not the most comfortable, but the most suitable if you want to fully enjoy each and every one of these wonders.
The first visit is Tambomachay as far as you can get in one of the combis of Mr. Del jardín, some white and blue vans with the name marked, which leave right next to the market Rosaspata.
The bus will leave you right next to Tambomachay and once there after the visit, you only have to go along the road, descending on foot, to find other places like Pukapukara, Qenqo, Cristo Blanco and Sacsayhuaman.
- All this tour will take you a full morning and will undoubtedly be one of the visits you will never forget.
- The best way to reach this incredible city is with the company Lan on any of its many flights to Cuzco
Tours in cusco that includes Qoricancha:
Hiking Tours to Machu Picchu
Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.
- Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5 days
- Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 5 days
- Inca Quarry Trail 4 Days
- 2 Day Inca Trail Tour
- 2 Day Inca Trail with Camping
- 3 Day Inca Trail
- Vilcabamba Hike to Machu Picchu 6 days
- Choquequirao trek to Machu Picchu 9 days
- Ausangate trek 7 days
- Palcoyo Mountain Tour
If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.
