what to see and do in cusco peru
xiv Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Cusco
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Quondam uppercase city of the Incas, Cusco is the oldest continuously inhabited urban center in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins of the old Inca city became the foundation for the Spanish architecture you see today, and many of the stone walls that line the streets were congenital by the Incas.
Earthquakes rocked Cusco in 1650, 1950, and 1986, and through each one, the Inca stonework on which after buildings were set survived, while the colonial and other buildings crumbled above. After each earthquake, Cusco rebuilt its churches and historical buildings.
Most tourists who come to Cusco caput to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and the other nearby Inca centers, but information technology's well worth spending some time exploring the city itself to discover its many attractions. Most are around the Plaza de Armas and surrounding streets, which is where y'all'll as well detect restaurants, hotels, and shopping.
Follow streets uphill from the northeast end of the Plaza de Armas into the rock-paved streets of the San Blas commune. In this picturesque little neighborhood, you'll notice small shops and restaurants frequented by locals as well as visitors who prefer to stay in this quieter neighborhood with fine views over the unabridged urban center.
To be sure y'all don't miss whatever of the best places to visit, program your trip with our list of the top attractions in Cusco.
See also: Where to Stay in Cusco
Note: Some businesses may exist temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety problems.
1. Santo Domingo and Coricancha
The church of Santo Domingo is congenital on the ruins of the famous Inca site of Coricancha, the Templo del Sol or Temple of the Sun. Coricancha (Q'orikancha in Quechua) ways "gold courtyard," and its walls were once lined in sheets of solid gold.
Statues and ornaments of gold busy the interior and a large gilt disc reflected the sun, casting a brilliant lite on the temple.
All this was stripped by the conquistadors soon later on they arrived in Cusco, and virtually of the gold was melted downwards. All that remains today of the in one case glorious Coricancha is the fine Inca stonework, which forms the foundation of the church of Santo Domingo.
From both inside and outside, y'all can see the impressive six-meter-high curved wall at one end of the church. Different much of the Castilian architecture, the Inca wall has withstood the major earthquakes that rocked Cusco in 1650, 1950, and 1986.
In the eye of the courtyard is a structure, which was once covered with 55 kilograms of gilded, and along the sides of the courtyard are small Inca rooms whose polish grayness stones and sharp angles are a stark contrast to the rounded arches and Spanish compages that surround them.
A small museum has a model showing what information technology probably looked similar and explains the history of local civilization, with pre-Inca, Inca, and colonial artifacts, many from excavations in the Coricancha.
two. Sacsayhuaman
The massive fortified circuitous of Sacsayhuaman is the almost meaning ruin in Cusco, and is close enough to the historic center that y'all tin walk there. Many tourists stop to come across it on the manner to Pisac. Sacsayhuaman is idea to have both military and religious significance.
Cusco was designed in the shape of a puma, with Sacsayhuaman as the head. Three ramparts of zigzagging defence walls extend for almost 300 meters, forming the teeth of the puma.
The fascination of this ruin is not merely its staggering size, simply the size of the stones from which it was congenital, and the complication of the stonework. Consider that what you see here is only about xx per centum of the original mass — until information technology was protected in the 1930s, blocks from Sacsayhuaman were being hauled abroad to apply for construction in Cusco.
Most of the largest stones, which were more difficult to movement, were left at the site, and form the basic structure. Some of these stones measure more than than eight meters loftier and weigh 361 tons.
Despite the massive size of these stones and their often irregular shapes, they are fitted together and then perfectly that modern engineers wonder at how the Incas managed such a feat.
3. Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas has been the heart of Cusco from the time of the Inca Empire, when the square was chosen Huacaypata or Aucaypata. The cathedral, on the northeast side of the Plaza de Armas is the main attraction, and y'all'll frequently find both locals and tourists relaxing on its steps.
On one side of the cathedral is the church of Jesus Maria, and on the other is El Triunfo. The southeastern side of the main square is dominated by the church building of La Compania, which is easily mistaken for the cathedral because of its ornate façade. However, it is smaller and lacks the grand stairs in front.
The other two sides of the Plaza de Armas are lined with colonial arcades. The eye of the square is a identify to rest on the benches and admire the gardens and fountain in the center equally you watch daily life in Cusco. The plaza is especially lively and beautiful at night, with people strolling about and the buildings lit with spotlights.
Ane of the most popular things to do at dark in Cusco is to stroll around the plaza, which is especially lively and cute after dark, with people socializing and the buildings lit with spotlights.
4. Inca Walls
Walking abreast the aboriginal Inca Walls that line the narrow streets of Cusco is like walking through an outdoor museum. These intricately constructed Inca walls are the foundations of today'south Cusco, and although they are institute all over the city, a few areas stand out.
Some of the best places to come across them are along the streets of Loreto and Hatunrumiyoc. Inca walls line both sides of Loreto, which runs southeast from the Plaza de Armas. The south wall is from Amarucancha, the site of the Palace of Huayna Capac, and on the north side is the wall of the Acllahuasi, i of the oldest walls in Cusco.
Hatunrumiyoc runs northeast from the Plaza de Armas, and is famous for the 12-sided rock establish along the east wall. It's usually easy to spot because souvenir sellers prepare regularly directly beyond from the stone. The curved cease of Santo Domingo church is another outstanding example of Inca stonework.
5. Cathedral
Structure on Cusco'due south cathedral began in 1559 and was completed in 1669. It is built on the site where the Inca Wiracocha's palace once stood. The three-aisled nave of the Renaissance-mode church is supported past 14 massive pillars, remarkably few for such a large nave.
The main altar, made of silver, weighs 400 kilograms, and the choir stalls are intricately carved from cedar. Fifty-fifty more impressive is the cathedral's collection of more than 400 paintings from the Escuela Cuzqueña, the Cusco School.
These paintings from the 16th and 17th century are unique in that they reverberate European style, but with an obvious native Andean influence. You can see a adept example of this in The Last Supper by Marcos Zapata, which shows the apostles dining on republic of guinea sus scrofa. The painting of the crucifixion in the sacristy is attributed to Van Dyke.
Adjoining the cathedral is the church of El Triunfo to the right, and the church of Jesus Maria to the left. El Triunfo was the showtime Christian church building in Cusco, congenital on the site of the Inca armory where the Castilian were trapped during a siege in 1536. The Incas burned the urban center, but the fire in the thatched roof of the armory went out mysteriously.
After the Spanish had escaped and retaken the city, the story had grown to the status of a phenomenon, which the church was built to honor. The Capilla del Triunfo houses a famous Alonso Cortes de Monroy painting of the 1650 earthquake that devastated Cusco.
Address: Plaza de Armas, Cusco
6. Museo Inka
The best museum in Cusco for those interested in the Incas, Museo Inka is housed in the ornate 16th-century Spanish Admiral'southward House, a building worth the visit in its own correct.
The house, which belonged to Admiral Francisco Aldrete Maldonado, was built on Inca foundations. It was damaged severely in both the 1650 and 1950 earthquakes but has been repaired and is one of the well-nigh impressive colonial houses in Cusco.
The collections focus on the Incas, from the rise of their culture to the Conquest and its touch on Peruvian cultures. Displayed are ceramics, textiles, metal and gold piece of work, jewelry, mummies, and skulls that show an early on surgical method of trepanning.
Especially interesting are the 450 carved and painted woods cups known as queros, the largest collection in the world. During the busiest tourist flavor, local weavers from the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco demonstrate and sell their impressive work in the courtyard.
Address: Cuesta del Almirante 103, Cusco
seven. Museo Casa Concha
A century after archeologist Hiram Bingham brought Machu Picchu to globe attending, the artifacts he found there were repatriated from the Yale Academy museums where he had deposited them.
Returned to Peru in 2011, after a decade of often-contentious negotiations, they are now displayed in the former domicile of Jose de Santiago Concha, an aristocrat from the early on days of the conquest.
Twelve rooms of the beautiful balconied firm, which spreads around iii courtyards, firm the collection of more 360 artifacts that include items from big ceramic pots to pocket-size silver pins.
Interactive displays and videos fill in the story of the Incas and Machu Picchu and include an interactive map of the site. Visible through a glass floor are the remains of a flooring from the previous Inca royal residence.
Address: Santa Catalina Ancha 320, Cusco
Official site: http://www.museomachupicchu.com
8. La Compania
Compania de Jesus, unremarkably called La Compania, is a Jesuit church building congenital in the 16th century. Information technology was badly damaged by the 1650 earthquake merely was rebuilt and finished in the late 1660s. La Compania was the source of considerable controversy when it was built, considering its grandeur threatened to surpass that of the cathedral in the same square.
The bishop of Cusco complained about the church's lavish pattern and the argument was finally brought to Pope Paul 3 to arbitrate. The Pope sided with the bishop, only past the time word of his decision reached Cusco, the Jesuits had almost completed La Compania.
So the Pope'south decision had footling event, and La Compania'south impressively ornate Baroque façade nevertheless rivals the cathedral. It is particularly cute when illuminated at night. But even the ornate façade doesn't fix you for the magnificent aureate altarpiece studded with polychrome statues.
La Compania is built on the foundations of the palace of Huayna Capac, the last ruler of the united Inca Empire, whose rule extended over much of present-day Republic of peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, and southwestern Republic of colombia.
Address: Plaza de Armas, Cusco
9. Museo de Arte Precolombino (Pre-Columbian Art Museum)
The Pre-Columbian Fine art Museum contains virtually 450 pieces from the storage rooms of the Larco Museum in Lima, whose collections are too vast to be shown there. On brandish (and with English signage) are jewelry; ceramics; golden piece of work; weavings; silver piece of work; and other artifacts from the Nasca, Moche, Huari, Paracas, Chimú, Chancay, and Inca cultures, dating from 1250 BC to AD 1532.
In addition, a room is dedicated to paintings from the Escuela Cuzqueña — the Cusco Schoolhouse — and a hall to wooden sculptures. The drove is relatively small but very well chosen, and housed in the former mansion of the conqueror Alonso Díaz.
Address: Plaza de las Nazarenas 231
Official website: https://mapcusco.pe/en/
10. La Merced
The Bizarre church and convent of La Merced was congenital between 1657 and 1680, replacing an before church congenital here in 1536 and destroyed in the 1650 earthquake that devastated much of Cusco.
La Merced is considered the tertiary about important colonial church building in Cusco, after the cathedral and La Compania. The most precious of the church'south treasures is in the sacristy, a gold monstrance set with precious stones and a behemothic pearl (held to be the world's second largest).
Inside the church are a carved choir and 18th-century paintings based on the life of San Pedro Nolasco, who founded the Order of La Merced. Several outstanding lunettes picturing scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary were painted by an bearding Cusco chief at the plough of the 18th century.
The ii-story curtilage is especially cute. The church building is just south of the Plaza de Armas.
11. San Blas
The San Blas neighborhood rises on a hill to the northeast of the Plaza de Armas. The surface area is known for its narrow cobbled streets filled with small art galleries and artisan workshops, as they have been since Inca times.
This surface area comes to life in the evenings when the shops and restaurants open, but San Blas Plaza is lively all twenty-four hours on Saturday, when it is filled with colorful marketplace stalls.
At the finish of the plaza is the adobe church of San Blas, from 1562, with an ornate gold Baroque altar and an exceptional pulpit carved from a unmarried tree. Legend holds that the skull upon which the sculpture of St. Paul rests its human foot is that of the pulpit's creator.
A terrace in a higher place the plaza offers practiced views beyond the red-tile rooftops of Cusco.
12. Qenqo
A relatively small archaeological site compared to others nearby, Qenqo is peculiarly interesting and especially puzzling to historians, every bit its exact uses are unknown. The entire remaining circuitous was carved out of a single solid stone, including its underground chambers and unusual winding channels.
What these channels were intended to hold — h2o, blood from sacrifices, or chichi (beer) have been speculated — is unknown, but they zigzag down through the site.
Early accounts from the time of the Incas describe the entire stone site covered in a layer of gold. Two upright stones at the upper expanse appear to take formed an Intiwatana, similar to the "Hitching Post of the Sun" at Machu Picchu and used for astronomical observations.
Qenqo is about iv kilometers from the center of Cusco.
13. San Francisco Church and Monastery
The church building and monastery of San Francisco, a few blocks southwest of the Plaza de Armas, is a large church building congenital in 1572 and restored after the 1650 earthquake. While the church itself is not spectacular, information technology does contain a beautiful carved cedar choir and a expert collection of colonial art, with works by Marcos Zapata and Diego Quispe Tito.
A monumental — 12 past ix meters — painting by Juan Espinoza de los Monteros shows the family lineage of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order, and around the curtilage are paintings with scenes from his life.
Two crypts beneath the church have human bones arranged in patterns, a feature found in Franciscan churches elsewhere.
Address: Plaza de San Francisco, Cusco
14. San Pedro Market
To get a sampling of local life, visit the busy and colorful San Pedro Market place on whatsoever day of the calendar week, especially in the morning while locals are shopping for their day'southward food. Local fruits and vegetables are displayed in colorful mounds, and an entire section is devoted to ready-to-eat foods, where you can get an cheap meal any time of solar day.
Look for the colorful displays of stale fruit snacks, equally well as stacks of pan chuta, a local breadstuff. Manus-knit sweaters and hats, as well as woven rugs and blankets made from alpaca yarns, are popular souvenirs, equally are colorful handmade fabric dolls.
Address: Calle Tupac Amaro, Cusco
Where to Stay in Cusco for Sightseeing
Nosotros recommend these welcoming hotels and guesthouses near the top tourist attractions in Cusco:
- Belmond Palacio Nazarenas : This 5-star luxury hotel is a sometime palace and convent. The hotel offers oxygen-enriched suites, butler service, deluxe spa, and heated outdoor pool.
- Antigua Casona San Blas : A mid-range boutique hotel near Plaza de Armas, the Antigua Casona San Blas features colonial-style decor and a lovely courtyard.
- Torre Dorada Cusco : You can expect to find affordable rates, a helpful host, a serenity neighborhood, a shuttle ride to town, and the feeling of a home away from home.
- Tierra Viva Cusco Saphi : This hotel offers budget-friendly rates, a quiet location, modern room decor, and corking showers.
Source: https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/cusco-cuzco-qosqo-per-cs-cs.htm
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