Tourist Places to Visit in San Blas Cusco (Cosco), Peru, America

Tourist Places to Visit in San Blas Cusco (Cosco), Peru, America

Cusco is the capital city of both Cusco Region and Cuzco Province in the southeastern Peru geographically positioned at 13°31′30″ S 71°58′20″ W, about 1035 km southeast of the national capital, Lima.

The Constitution of Peru declared Cusco as ‘the Historical Capital of Peru’ because of its historical importance of the Inca Empire. Cusco is one of the most important tourist destinations in the country receiving around 2 million visitors every year.

Geography of Cusco:

Cusco is placed in the vicinity of the Urubamba Valley at an altitude of 3,400 meters covering an area of 70,015 sq. km.

History of Cusco:

Qusqu is the original name of Cusco and was originally founded in 1100. Qusqu served as the capital of the famous Inca Empire from the 13th century to 1532 when the Spaniards arrived in Peru. Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared in the year 1983.

How to reach Cusco?

Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport is the airport serving Cusco with scheduled flights to La Paz, Arequipa, Lima, Puerto Maldonado and Juliaca, situated around 4 km from the downtown Cusco. From Lima to Cusco cost around US$110 by air.

Terminal Terrestre is one the major bus terminals of Cusco and the prominent bus companies operating services between Cusco and other Peruvian cities including Ayacucho are Expreso Los Chankas and Cruz del Sur.

Taxis generally cost 2-4 soles to move within the city. Buses are also ideal for local travel.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Cusco:

Cusco is culturally very rich town housing numerous archeological sites, museums and cathedrals. The major shopping corners in Cusco are as follows:

Centro Comercial El Molino
Artisan Market
Pisac
Sacred Valley

Lomo Saltado is a very popular dish in Cusco and list of the prime restaurants in Cusco include:

El Balcon
El Encuentro
Al Gustitos de Loli
Ajjla Wasi

What to do in Cusco?

San Pedro Market
Archeological sites
Museums

Places to see in Cusco:

Plaza de Armas of Cusco:

Plaza de Armas of Cusco is the main site housing many colonial buildings and churches. It is great to see during the night.

Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo:

Situated in the Municipal Palace, Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo displays different contemporary artworks.

Monumento Pachacuteq:

Monumento Pachacuteq is a 22 meter high monument with the statue of the Inca warrior King Pachacuteq.

Choco Museo:

Choco Museo is a museum as well as a chocolate factory, open from 10:30AM-6:30PM. Entrance is free, but tourists are needed to pay for Cacao farm tours and to visit chocolate workshops.

List of other places of interest in Cusco include:

Museo Historico Regional
Museo del Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco
Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha
Museo de Arte Popular
Santa Catalina Convent
Qoricancha
Fractal Dragon
Sacsayhuaman
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus
Ruins of Saksaywaman
Convent of St. Dominic
Plaza Regocijo

Ideal time to visit Cusco:

The months between June and September will be the best to spend holidays in Cusco.

Where to stay in Cusco?

Cusco is home to plenty of world class hotels with superior facilities and services and most of the major hotels offer advance booking facility for tourist convenience. Here is the list of budget, mid range and luxury hotels in Cusco:

Budget: