CUSCO AND THE SACRED VALLEY

The heart and soul of Peru is the Cusco area, which was the Inca homeland for two centuries before the Spaniards built Peru’s first capital here in the 16th century. Avoid the heights of Cusco (3,400 meters, or 11,150 feet) by beginning with the Sacred Valley, which the Incas considered paradise on earth for its sunny weather, rolling rivers, and fertile earth. The Incas built a string of sacred temples and fortresses up and down the valley, including Pisac and Ollantaytambo. The valley is cut by the Río Urubamba, which tumbles from here through steep gorges and toward the most fabled achievement of the Incas, Machu Picchu. The only way to get to Machu Picchu is via train or the Inca Trail, a paved stone highway that culminates in a bird’s-eye view of Machu Picchu’s temples, palaces, and workers’ quarters. After seeing the Inca ruins, travelers are primed for Cusco, an imperial city that is still caught in a tug-of-war between the New World and European mindset. Atop the flawless stone walls built by the Incas, the Spaniards erected more than a dozen baroque churches and filled them with religious paintings, saints, and gold-plated altars. Other highlights of a Cusco tour including the artisan barrio of San Blas and the fortress of Sacsayhuamán.

Pisac

Pisac Market: Peru’s most famous crafts market takes place Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday in this ancient Inca village, nestled in the shadow of an imposing Inca fortress and temple. (read more)

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo Temple: Second in importance only to Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo includes some of the Incas’ best stonework, including a series of ceremonial baths, elegant trapezoidal doorways, and a sun temple that faces the rising sun. (read more)

Machu Picchu

Temple of the Moon and Huayna Picchu: Apart from the royal palaces and exquisite sun temple, Machu Picchu also stands out for its exquisite Temple of the Moon. This natural cave, sculpted with curving stone walls, is well worth the 45-minute hike to Huayna Picchu. (read more)

Inca Trail: For those who hike it, this sacred path is part trek, part religious pilgrimage. It winds down from the windswept mountains to lush cloud forest, passing 30 ruins along the way, until reaching Machu Picchu. (read more)

Cusco Catedral: Cusco’s baroque cathedral, built atop a former Inca palace, dominates the town’s Plaza de Armas and is filled with a huge range of paintings from the Cusco School, elegant carved choir stalls, and a gold-covered Renaissance altar. (read more)

Coricancha and Santo Domingo: Coricancha, the Inca Sun Temple, was once covered with thick plates of solid gold. After sacking it, the Spaniards built a Dominican church atop its seamless walls, a bizarre juxtaposition that illustrates the religious conflict that continues to drive Cusco today. (read more)

Sacsayhuamán: This stone fortress of massive zigzag walls, fashioned from stone blocks weighing hundreds of tons, towers over Cusco and is the maximum expression of the Incas’ military strength. (read more)