Cusco, capital of the Inca World, is considered the first tourist destination in South America, with its access to Machu Picchu, the Royal Inca Trail, the Sacred Valley, Megalithic constructions that mix with the daily life of its inhabitants and a buzzing nightlife. This is just the tip of the pyramid!
Tourism in Cusco is developed in 6 main areas defined by DIRCETUR (Regional Direction of Foreign Trade and Tourism), these areas have a variety of touristic resources that are mostly associated with cultural experiences. In addition to this, in Cusco, tourism is the main source of direct and indirect work and has functioned as an instrument for the human development of the people in Cusco. We can highlight the presence of a deeply rooted cultural heritage and a collective recognition of one’s own identity. Tourism gives to organized rural communities opportunities to take advantage of the environment and specifically the touristic resources they have.
Put on your trekking boots, prepare your backpack and put on your sunscreen because the Andean sun is inclement and the natural wonders of Cusco await you.
MACHU PICCHU AREA
It includes the citadels of Machu Picchu, Choquequirao and the Vilcabamba Archaeological Park. More than 80% of tourists come to the region only if their tour includes one of the 7 wonders of the world: Machu Picchu, despite the variety of touristic attractions in other nearby areas. It is considered a mysterious city full of cultural wealth. Temperatures in this area are well above zero during the year and the climate is hot and humid. Only during the rainy season, which usually starts in December until the end of March, where the temperature temporarily cool down significantly.
SACRED VALLEY AREA
A second unavoidable destination of the system is the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with its main route Pisac – Urubamba – Ollantaytambo and a second axis that closes the Ollantaytambo – Urubamba – Chinchero ring, with the option of Maras and Moray.
We cannot forget the hidden fortress on the way to Urubamba: Huchuy Qosqo. This place, despite being one of the most important archaeological sites in Cusco and being located in a magnificent place, is little known and visited. It offers a panorama of incredible landscapes due to its change of vegetation and climate as we advance along the Qhapaq Ñan (Royal Inca Trail).
CUSCO AREA
The city of Cusco constitutes the tourist center in which the touristic operations revolves and is the main concentrator of services (airport, land and rail terminals, hotels, excursion operators, restaurants, etc.)
Cusco with its city attractions (Qoricancha, Cathedrals, Museums, neighborhoods, etc.), some peripherals such as Sacsayhuamán and its smaller centers, is the other strong destination of the system, not only for its quality of destination but also for hosting the greatest possibilities of services for the increasingly demanding profile of tourism.
If the historic center of the city is beautiful from the street, from the viewpoints of the Cordillera of Vilcanota you will end up falling in love.
SOUTH OF CUSCO AREA
Urcos and Tinki. Inside the Cordillera of Vilcanota resides the majestic Nevado Ausangate. The southern zone of Cusco also includes areas such as Tipón and Piquillacta, including the Cusco-Puno Road axis.
A growing Destination that recently has been displaying great dynamics in forms of “thematic” experiences such as religiosity, community tourism integrated into high-altitude walks in various places, mountaineering and extreme sports. Although the gastronomy of this area is not a great attraction for tourists, its complementarity pleases travelers who dare to eat a delicious Cuy cooked in Pachamanca.
MANU AREA
Whose main attraction is the Kosñipata Cloudy Forest, also called Manu National Park.
Here nature offers us a great diversity of flora and fauna typical of the Peruvian Amazon and it is a sector in which sets of waterfalls are visualized. In this area you can practice various activities such as study, tourism, ecology, cycling and canoeing. For focal tourism experiences, there are nature possibilities in Manu and Pongo de Mainique, however, its scope is conditioned to access by the weather season.
APURÍMAC RIVER AREA
The geographical characteristic of the Apurímac River canyon has the remarkable virtue of being able to carry out canoeing activities, being used since the eighties. The excursion takes place from the city of Cusco and only seasonally, it can be understood that a complete tour integrates touristic resources with cultural characteristics on its return to the city of Cusco. It is focused exclusively on the experiences of adventure.
As a curious fact, the deepest canyon in America and the second in the world with a net depression of 3,907 meters is located in Apurímac in front of the snowy Salkantay.
Broadly speaking, the Cusco region has one of the most diverse areas in all of Peru. In this way we seek to put on the table a basic touristic structure with its main attractions. In a single visit it is practically impossible to know the entire Cusco province and that is why we must select the areas according to our tastes, physical condition and needs. Let us remember that very especially Cusco has the presence of other areas that have extraordinary touristic potential and that currently do not have a significant use.
As a last recommendation, it is very important to hire the services of an agency or private touristic/ mountain guide, sometimes doing a Trek in autonomy can be tempting, but the reality is that there can be many inconveniences that generate lots of stress to your visit and They can turn the experience into a dangerous situation, especially in inhospitable places such as the Andes Mountains where high altitudes are usually reached, generating significant physical discomfort even for high-performance athletes who are not acclimatized. This could be the difference!