Exploring Cusco – the ancient capital of the Inka empire

Exploring Cusco – the ancient capital of the Inka empire, with its unique history, multifaceted culture and amazing food, was one of the highlights of our trip to Peru, and I highly recommend that you spend a few full days there.

Cusco was the ancient capital of the Inka empire, but as a settlement its existence can be traced back around 3,000 years.  It’s strategically located at the southern end of the Sacred valley, and it’s usually the first stop for many tourists on their way to Machu Picchu.

We were immediately captivated by its narrow, cobblestone streets, lined with quaint boutiques and artsy cafes, its vibrant culture, and history.  Unlike the urban appeal of Lima that gradually grows on you, Cusco’s romantic vibe, and cozy charm makes you fall in love with it at first glance.  Here, you can see the overlapping of cultures in sharp contrast – ancient Inca ruins rubbing shoulders with Spanish colonial buildings, modern cafes,  dotting the old city streets, serving contemporary fusion cuisine, next to traditional Peruvian dishes.

It’s an enchanting place, and deserves to be experienced slowly, rather than serving as a quick gateway to Machu Picchu.

After catching an early flight from Lima, we arrived in Cusco around 11 am, just as Peru’s first game in the 2018 World Soccer Cup was about to begin. As Peruvians will half-jokingly tell you, soccer is Peru’s second religion, and the fact that Peru’s soccer team qualified for the World Cup for the first time in over 30 years, made it all the more important. Everyone took time off work, and hurried to the nearest TV screen at home, in bars, or on the main town plaza where two giant TVs were streaming the match live. The energy, and the excitement was palpable, as we made our way downtown, and found ourselves watching the game, and cheering for Peru.

Cusco literally and figuratively took our breath away.

Sitting at 3,400 m above sea level, it’s one of the highest cities int the world, and you immediately start to feel the effects of the altitude, as your body tries to cope with 30% less oxygen in the air. Your muscles feel as heavy as lead, your head starts to hurt, and your lungs struggle for air as you climb a few flights of stairs.   The cure?  Coca leaf tea, according to locals.  Andean people have chewed the leaves of the coca plant for thousands of years to manage altitude sickness, and highly recommend it to tourists.  It’s offered for free in hotels and restaurants, but I guess that was a diluted version of the potent stuff, because it didn’t do much for us. We thought that a good old cup of coffee was more helpful (as well as drinking plenty of water and taking it easy, until your body acclimatizes).

You will see rainbow flags everywhere in Cusco, but don’t confuse them with the international LGBT flag.  This is actually the flag of Cusco, and the difference is the extra light blue color in the Cusco flag.

Some of the old cobblestone streets in Cusco are as narrow as a car’s width, and the sidewalks can barely fit one person.  People usually walk on the street, as traffic is not that heavy, and when a car drives by, everyone hops on the sidewalk and stops wherever they are,  as there is simply no way to bypass a fellow pedestrian on the tiny sidewalk.

All roads lead to Plaza de Armas

No matter where you are in the historic old town, sooner or later you’ll find yourself at Plaza de Armas – a sprawling open square with green lawns and flower beds.  The plazza is surrounded by the imposing Cathedral of Cusco on one side, and the beautiful Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus on the other – two magnificent examples of baroque architecture, built atop the foundations of what once was an Inca palace, with stones looted from the original ruins.

This is the heart of the city where festivals and parades take place, where concerts and public events are held, and people congregate for no other reason than to mingle with the crowd, and feel the pulse of the city.

You can explore the many shops along the arched buildings of the plaza, or grab a drink in one of the bars, sit on the balcony, and take in the views of the colonial architecture, the mountains behind, and the commotion below.

Palacio de Inca Roc’a & the 12-angled stone

A short walk from Plaza de Armas, along the historic Hathun Rumiyok street, lies the Palace of the Inca Roc’a, one of the prominent Inca rulers in Cusco.  What’s left of the original palace is only the stone wall, built with huge irregular slabs of stone.  They don’t follow a certain shape, or geometrical pattern but they are cut with such precision that they fit perfectly together, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, without the use of mortar.  Somewhere in the middle of the wall, is the famous 12-angled stone – a testament of the mastery of the Inca masons.  Take note of the stone-paved street – this is another relic from Inca times.

Baby alpacas are all the rage

One of the most unusual things you notice on the streets of Cusco is the sight of local Quechua ladies, dressed in their traditional handwoven dresses, sporting the ubiquitous bowler hats, and carrying a baby alpaca in their hands, or on a leash. These baby lambs, embellished with bright yarn tassels, munching on leaves, or sitting still and looking like a life-size plush toy, are the most adorable thing ever, and you can cuddle one of those fluffy little cuties, and take unforgettable photos with them. In fact, every time I saw one, I was drawn like a magnet to it, and took my fair share of alpaca selfies.

Another common sight is women, carrying a baby or some other precious cargo on their backs, skillfully wrapped in a big handwoven blanket tied in front.

Open markets

If you venture south of the Plaza de Armas,  and pass through the arch of the Templo Santa Clara, you will start seeing market ladies sitting on the side walk, or pulling food carts around.  They sell all kinds of unimaginable goods like crispy, puffed pork rind, roasted potatoes, peeled quail eggs, toasted broad beans, boiled corn, and other goodies.   Further down the street is San Pedro market, the city’s biggest open market, and a must-do in Cusco, according to all.  We somehow missed it on our first day, and never found the time to go back.

San Blas

If you continue uphill along Hathun Rumiyok street, past the Palacio de Inca Roc’a, the street will get steeper, and you will begin to climb a myriad of steps, until you find yourself at San Blas market square. San Blas is the artist’s quarter of Cusco, and needless to say, one of the best places.  If you climb even further above the market, and to the left, you will reach a small terrace where you can get a great view of the city.  You must visit during the day to catch the artists at San Blas market selling their handicrafts, but you also must return after dusk, when you can hear young musicians signing and drumming their guitars, on softly lit street corners.

Where to eat

Eating in Peru was a culinary adventure and one of our favorite activities! Peruvians take their food quite seriously, and no wonder why Peru has become a foodie destination.  I was constantly impressed by the attention to detail and the beautiful presentations – from the plates they used (that looked like one-offs taken straight from an artist’s studio), to the decoration, and execution.

Cusco was a great place to explore the local food scene, with its specialties like aplaca steak, and roasted guinea pig, but you will also find a lot of  modern twists on traditional potato and corn dishes.

For our first dinner, we made a reservation at Uchu – a modern Peruvian steakhouse, with a cozy, retro vibe, whose specialty is serving their meat seared on the outside, on a hot volcanic stone, and letting you finish off the cooking to your liking, at your own table.

We started with a cold Cusquena, the craft beer produced in Cusco, and complementary bowl of sweet olives (pretty yummy by the way).  We had their shrimp bruschetta which was the most delicious piece of buttery toast, topped with mouth-watering caramelized cherry tomatoes, and roasted shrimp, slathered in cheesy garlicky sauce!  At that point I was very tempted to order the other appetizers on the menu, and have a tapa-style dinner, but remembered that we came to try the seared meat on the stone.

We ordered the beef and the alpaca steak combo, and it came with a few colorful yummy sauces, sweet potato fries and a salad ( I tried not to think about the cute baby alpacas that I cuddled only a few hours before)…We were so full by the end of the meal, that we had to skip dessert.  I still regret that by the way.  I can only imagine what creative sweet delights they would’ve served!  That’s the thing about Peru – you always leave a restaurant quite satisfied, and a little sad that you missed so much more!

We also loved Marcelo Batata – a Peruvian fusion restaurant, not far from Uchu.  They have a roof top terrace which would make it the perfect place for lunch.  As usual we had a hard time choosing one of the many tempting dessert options, but the server insisted on this one  – goat cheese cheesecake, with basil ice cream and eucalyptus coulis.  If this doesn’t sound like something straight out of an Iron Chef episode, I don’t know what does!  It was fantastic!

For an afternoon break, I highly recommend the ChocoMuseo.  There are two locations – one next to the 12-angled stone, and one on Plaza Regocijo located a block from Plaza de Armas.  Go to the second one, grab a seat at the tiny private balconies, overlooking the plaza below, and indulge in their chocolate mousse, and one of their hot chocolates.  You can also try samples of different chocolate, and chocolate drinks downstairs, as part of the museum experience.

I hope I managed to convince you, that Cusco deserves to be more than just a quick stop on your way to Machu Picchu.  In fact, I’d argue you must make it the focal point of your trip to Peru, allowing plenty of time to explore and enjoy this magical place, and the surrounding Sacred Valley.

Here are some other things you can do (I wish we did them too):

Visit Qurikancha – the Sun Temple of the Incas
Shop at San Pedro Market
Hike to the Inca fortress of Sacksaywaman, just outside the city.
Take a day trip to the Rainbow mountain
Try coca leaf ice cream
Try more of the amazing food
Join some of the numerous  festivals and celebrations
Visit a museum

Stick around for some more pictures and stories about the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu, hiking the Andes, and the Amazon jungle. You may also check out my top 15 things to see and do in Lima.

And, if you want to try your hand at making some yummy Peruvian food, then give these Peruvian stuffed avocados a go.