Sightseeing OverviewCusco divides into
five districts, each centered on a square or temple. At the heart of the city lies the
Plaza de Armas. The majority of sights are within easy walking distance of here. South of the Plaza, Avenida Sol runs past the
Inca Sun Temple, the
Coricancha. Heading uphill and southwest from Avenida Sol there are the
Plaza San Francisco, the
central market and the
Iglesia de Santa Clara.
One block west of Plaza de Armas is
Plaza Regocijo which has Inca origins and contains some of the city’s
finest
mansions and municipal
palaces. From the northeast corner of Plaza de Armas,
Calle Triunfo climbs steeply through a stunning Inca
-walled street to the
artisan quarter of
San Blas, centered on an attractive
church. Uphill and northwest from Plaza de Armas,
Calle Plateros climbs towards the Inca fortress
Sacsayhuaman.
Should you exhaust the enormous number of city center
historical sights and attractions, there are historical and
archaeological sights in the surrounding region and nearby
Sacred Valley, which can be visited as part of half or full day excursions.
Tourist InformationDireccíon Regional de Industria y Turismo (DRIT)Portal de Mantas 117-A
Tel: (84) 263 176.
Alternatively,
iPeru (website:
www.peru.info) have information offices in the main hall at Aeropuerto Velasco Astete and at Avenida Sol 103 (Room 203) (tel: (84) 227 037).
The
Cuscoperu website (
www.cuscoperu.com) gives a good overview of the city. Also very helpful are the
South American Explorers Club, no 4 Choquechaca 188 (tel: (84) 245 484; website:
www.saexplorers.org). Travel agencies are usually willing to provide help and information, for a fee.
PassesAn essential purchase is the
Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turistico), which is the only way to get into most of the city’s and region’s main attractions. It is available from the tourist office, iPeru office or the OFEC office on the corner of Garcilaso and Plaza Regocijo. A separate ticket is required to access the Cathedral, San Blas and Museo de Arte Religioso though.
Key Attractions:La Catedral
Built between 1556 and 1669 on the site of the Inca Viracocha’s palace, the monolithic cathedral dominates one side of the plaza. Full of treasures, it is one of the city’s best repositories of colonial art and includes detailed carved altars and a sacristy full of portraits of priests from the past, as well as the blackened crucifix that was paraded around Cusco in 1650 to stop a giant earthquake. There’s also a very famous painting of the
Last Supper by Marcos Zapata, at which Christ and his disciples are pictured feasting on guinea pig.
Plaza de Armas
Admission charge.
La Compañía
This Jesuit church is the other massive building on the Plaza de Armas. Built on the ruins of the palace of the Inca Huayna Capac, it is a grand building complete with decorative baroque facade. Work began in 1578 but a giant earthquake in 1650 practically demolished the building and it wasn’t finished until 1668. Interesting paintings of local weddings show plenty of period detail, whilst the catacombs beneath the church are worth exploring and the view from the second floor choir area worth climbing a set of rickety steps to see.
Plaza de Armas
Free admission.
Coricancha and Santo Domingo
The Inca Sun Temple,
Coricancha, was the center of the Inca religion. The building was once lavishly decorated with gold plates and precious stones, but the Spanish Conquistadors pillaged the site and gave the temple to the Dominicans, who built the monastery of
Santo Domingo on top of it. In 1950 an earthquake destroyed the monastery, but left the Inca stonework, some of the finest masonry in Peru, undamaged.
Plazoleta Santo Domingo
Admission charge.
Iglesia de San Blas
This simple adobe church contains a breathtakingly intricate carved cedar-wood pulpit, the detail of which includes a cherub, a sun-disc, faces and bunches of grapes. At the top stands St Paul, his foot resting on a skull believed to belong to the craftsman responsible for the carving. The church also has a baroque gold-leafed alter.
Plaza San Blas
Admission charge.
Museo Inka
This impressive colonial house stands on Inca foundations. Inside is a massive stairway guarded by sculptures of mythical creatures, and an attractive courtyard. Most importantly, the museum houses the finest collection of Inca artifacts in the city. Metal- and gold-work, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, textiles and paintings are all on display. There is also a reconstructed burial chamber containing several mummies.
Corner of Ataud and Tucumán
Tel: (84) 237380.
Admission charge.
Further Distractions:Museo de Arte Precolombino
This small yet fascinating museum is set within the grand, spacious confines of the Earl of Cabrera’s colonial mansion. It is dedicated to the artistic achievements of the various ancient Peruvian cultures and houses a superb collection of artifacts from the Moche, Chimú, Paracas, Nazca and Inca cultures. Dating from 1250 to 1532, these archaeological treasures include carvings, ceramics, and gold- and silver-work.
Plazoleta Nazarenas 231
Tel: (84) 233 210.
Website:
http://map.perucultural.org.peInca walls
Whilst not tourist attractions in the obvious sense, these stunning architectural achievements are worth seeking out and are works of art in their own right. The finest examples of classical Inca stonework are on Calle Loreto, which features the oldest wall in Cusco, and Hatunrumiyoc, which includes a technically brilliant, celebrated 12-sided stone cut to precisely fit the wall.
Calle Loreto and Hatunrumiyoc
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