Cuzco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain range. It is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost a million visitors a year. It is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by the Constitution of Peru.
The baroque main cathedral in the central tourist gathering spot of the Plaza de Armas is one of Cusco’s most impressive architectural structures. But perhaps even more fascinating when it comes to Cusco architecture are the surviving stone walls from the Inca.
Cuzco is a jump-off point for excursions on the Inca Trail and to nearby Machu Picchu, as well as other places of interest in southern Peru.
Things to see and do
* Machu Pichu
* "Fortress" at Ollantaytambo; and the "fortress" of Sacsayhuaman
* Coricancha Temple
* The Church of La Compañia on the Plaza de Armas
* Incan walls
Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Nuevo Sol (PEN)
Language – Spanish
Land Area - 70,015.3 km2
Population – 350,000 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style and 2 angled pins and 1 flat pin centered below Australian style
Time – GMT minus five hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 51
Port Location – There is no port located at Cusco.
Transport Links – The airport is at the edge of the city (taxi ride). There are daily internal flights to and from Lima, Arequipa and small jungle airstrips in the Amazon basin. The closest main international airport is Lima.
The Terminal Terrestre is about a 20 minute walk down the Av. Sol. You can also take a taxi for a few soles. Buses are plentiful from other Peruvian cities like Lima (about 24 hours), Puno (6-8 hours), Arequipa (10 hours, 20 soles), Nazca (14-16 hours) etc, but are quite long and slow, although the views can compensate. The main roads are quite good, but some can be bad, making trips take longer than expected.
Cuzco is connected to Machu Picchu and Puno by rail.