Although Machu Picchu is the main attraction of Cusco and probably, of Peru, there are so many other interesting historical and cultural sights to see! In this blog a short list of some other things to do in Cusco before or after your visit to Machu Picchu.

The Cusco City Tour is a must for travelers with some time to spend in Cusco! This five hour tour starts in the center of Cusco at the impressive Colonial Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas that contains over 400 paintings from the Cusquenan School. After that the tour visits the Qoricancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun, which was a religious center for the Incas dedicated to the Sun. According to history, the walls of this temple were entirely covered with gold at one point. From here the tour travels by bus to visit the four ruins located less than 8 km from Cusco, including Sacsayhuamán, famous for its enormous carved rocks, Q´enqo, and Tambomachay.

Day 3: Jungle – Playa – Santa Teresa

Today is the third day of the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. This trek is known as the more alternative trek, another option for the famous Inca Trail. It is actually a very good alternative for people that want to do something different, or, for those who cannot get a spot on the Inca Trail. You will cross one of the most astonishing Andean landscapes and see the most beautiful panoramic views of mountain chains. Furthermore, you will pass through a big variety of habitats and environments, you will see snow peaked mountains and will be in the vicinity of the tropical rainforest.

On this third day, we walk along the river to a little village called La Playa. We visit the waterfalls of Pacche – there are 11 different waterfalls, each with a height of approximately 50 meters! We see lots of butterflies, banana trees, coffee plants, avocado trees, and so much more. We even spotted an eagle. It’s warm and as we descend it gets even hotter! The climate is warm in this area and a difference with other warm areas is that in this place the typical agricultural production consists of pomegranate trees.

In 2011 the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru celebrate their 100th anniversary. Or at least; the ruins were discovered one hundred years ago. The village of Machu Picchu was accidentally discovered on July 24th,1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. A group of Quechuan people led the explorer up the mountains to the peak they called Machu Picchu (meaning old mountain). To his surprise there were still people living in the village. Machu Picchu was built in 1450 and abandoned a century later with the arrival of the Conquistadores.

The rural context of the arrival of the infant Christ allowed early Peruvians to identify immediately with the festivity, highlighted by artisan creativity, a sense of aesthetics and the religious devotion of Andean settlers. Andean Christmas began taking on characteristics of its own by adding elements from each region. These elements stand out for the extreme care with which highlanders put together Nativity scenes in churches and homes, perform dances and plays, cook typical dishes and produce a wide range of handicrafts such as Nativity scenes in Huamanga stone, retablos featuring images related to Christmas and pottery or carved gourds called “mates burilados” decorated with Yuletide scenes. In most Andean communities, the festival continues until la Bajada de los Reyes (the arrival of the three wise men), January 6, when traditionally people exchange gifts.

The Inca Trail so far has been an incredible and wonderful experience (see other blog posts below).  On day 4, we woke up very early this morning!! After a quick breakfast and a quick stop at the washrooms, we were off on our last leg of the trek to Machu Picchu! During the hike up to the Intipunku archaeological site (also known as the Gateway of the Sun – Inti means “sun” in Quechua, the original Inca language) we were able to take a break and watch the sun rise over the mountains. The pinks, oranges and yellows were like nothing I’d seen before. Once we reached Intipunku, the weather was perfect to get tons of great photos of Machu Picchu from above. But our journey didn’t stop here: once we were done taking photos we began the last 30 minutes of the hike to Machu Picchu. The group decided we would like to see the Inca Bridge since we had opted out of climbing Huayna Picchu. The bridge was about a 10 minute walk through jungle-like landscapes on the very edge of the mountain. The bridge was built by the Incas and then later, one section destroyed to deter the conquistadors from following them. 

Today – the third day of the 4 day Inca Trail to the lost ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru – was supposed to be an easier day than yesterday. We started out early again this morning. Today we got to see a few more Inca archaeological sites than the last two days. In the morning we saw the Runkurakay site which is just below the Runkurakay pass. It is thought that this site was used as a resting point for the Inca messengers. Puma explained to us how the Inca messengers, called chasquis, would run through the Andes Mountains, forming a type of relay to send messages from one community to another. The chasquis would chew coca leaves to help give them the energy to run up the huge peaks. Puma taught us how to properly chew coca leaves too but most of us couldn’t keep them in our mouths more than a few minutes. As we continued our hike, we were able to pass through a couple Inca tunnels which were really neat to see! After climbing the pass we came to the second main archaeological site, Phuyupatamarca which has a series of intricate ceremonial baths.

Day 2 of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu started out with an early morning breakfast. Again, the food was delicious – fresh fruit, omelettes, toast, hot chocolate and porridge! After breakfast our guide introduced us to all the porters and we introduced ourselves to all of them and then got a great group photo. The porters are the men who carry all our food, tents and other provisions. As you hike the trail, you see them whiz past you to set up the next camp before your arrival. On the second day you have the option to hire an extra porter to carry your backpack since it is the toughest day. I definitely took advantage of this option!

On the  first morning we left Cusco around 5am to start our 4 day trek through the Inca  trail to Machu Picchu with Dos Manos travel agency. After driving a few hours  through the beautiful landscape of the Sacred Valley we arrived at the entrance  of the Inca trail in Ollantaytambo. The Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu  is one of the world’s most famous treks. The 45km hike can be done in 3 or 4  days with a shorter 2 day option available for those looking for an easier  trek. Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu and the Inca trail between 1911  and 1915. Unlike other Inca roads used to transport goods and communicate  between cities, the Inca trail to Machu Picchu was more of a religious  pilgrimage that honoured Pachamama (mother earth) and the mountains. Over the  first 3 days we passed through 84 different eco-systems and saw some of the  most remarkable views! On day 4 we arrived at Machu Picchu and spend the day  walking around the ancient city with our guide.

After a few days enjoying Cusco and its surroundings, we were ready to see one of the world’s most impressive cultural sites: Machu Picchu. Early in the morning we took the backpacker’s train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, a small town, full of hotels and restaurants, and famous for its hot baths. We had planned to go to Machu Picchu the next day, so on this first day in town, we walked around the village and visited the baths. As my purpose was to sunbathe and not to have a swim, the mosquitoes found pleasure in my pale skin. A tip for all visitors: put on anti- repellent, and loads of it!!.

But my itching legs could not retain my excitement for our journey to Machu Picchu. The bus ride, uphill to a height of about 2.350 meters above sea level, takes about 30 minutes. It is recommendable to take the bus early in the morning, in order to arrive at the site as early as possible, around 6.00 or 6.30 am. As our official tour was going to start at around 8.30, we had some time to discover the place on our own. We decided to get the tickets for the hike to Huayna Picchu (“young peak” in quechua, as opposed to old peak / Machu Picchu), for which there are only a limited number (400) per day given out.