Cusco Travel Guide

Visitor Information

As the top tourist destination in Peru, Cusco is well equipped with information outlets. There's a branch of the Oficina de Información Turística (tel. 084/380-145) at the Velasco Astete Airport in the arrivals terminal; it's open daily from 6:30am to 12:30pm. The principal Oficina de Información Turística is located on Mantas 117-A, a block from the Plaza de Armas (tel. 084/222-032). It's open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 7pm and Sunday from 7am to noon. It's very helpful and efficient, and it sells the essential boleto turístico (tourist ticket). However, the new iPerú office, Av. El Sol, 103, of. 102 (tel. 084/234-498) has been better stocked with information and more helpful on recent visits; it's open daily from 8:30am to 7:30pm. Another information office is located in the Terminal Terrestre de Huanchaq train station, Av. Pachacútec s/n (tel. 084/238-722); it's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 6:30pm.

South American Explorers has an office and club in Cusco at Choquechaca 188, no. 4 (tel. 084/245-484; www.samexplo.org). The office stores luggage, maintains lists of trail reports for members, and has a library of useful information for trekking and mountaineering. If you're traveling extensively, and independently, through Peru, it's worth becoming a member of this helpful group.

Cusco = Cuzco = Q'osqo -- Spanish and English spellings derived from the Quechua language are a little haphazard in Cusco, especially because there has been a linguistic movement to try to recuperate and value indigenous culture. Thus, you might see Inca written as Inka; Cusco as Cuzco, Qosqo, or Q'osqo; Qoricancha as Coricancha or Koricancha; Huanchaq as Huanchac or Wanchac; Sacsayhuamán as Sacsaywaman; and Q'enko as Qenko, Kenko, or Qenqo. You're likely to stumble across others, with similar alphabetical prestidigitation, all used interchangeably.

Altitude Acclimatization -- You'll need to take it easy for the first few hours or even couple of days in Cusco -- which sits at an altitude of just over 11,000 feet -- to adjust to the elevation. Pounding headaches and shortness of breath are the most common ailments, though some travelers are afflicted with nausea. Drink lots of water, avoid heavy meals, and do as the locals do: Drink mate de coca, or coca-leaf tea. (Don't worry, you won't get high or arrested, but you will adjust a little more smoothly to the thin air.) If that doesn't cure you, ask whether your hotel has an oxygen tank you can use for a few moments of assisted breathing. If you're really suffering, look for an over-the-counter medication in the pharmacy called "Sorojchi Pills." And if that doesn't do the trick, it may be time to seek medical assistance. Those who think they may have an especially hard time with the altitude might consider staying the first couple of nights in the slightly lower Sacred Valley (near Urubamba, Yanahuara or Ollantaytambo).

City Layout

The Incas designed their capital in the shape of a puma, with the head at the north end, at Sacsayhuamán (whose zigzagged walls are said to have represented the animal's teeth). This is pretty difficult to appreciate today; even though much of the original layout of the city remains, it has been engulfed by growth. Still, most of Cusco can be seen easily on foot, certainly the best way to take in this historic mountain city that is equal parts Inca capital, post-Conquest colonial city, and modern tourist magnet.

The old center of the city is organized around the stunning and busy Plaza de Armas, the focal point of life in Cusco. The streets that radiate out from the square -- Plateros, Mantas, Loreto, Triunfo, Procuradores, and others -- are loaded with travel agencies, shops, restaurants, bars, and hotels. The major avenue leading from the plaza southeast to the modern section of the city is Avenida El Sol, where most banks are located. The district of San Blas is perhaps Cusco's most picturesque barrio; the labyrinthlike neighborhood spills on cobblestone streets off Cuesta San Blas, which leads to crooked alleys and streets and viewing points high above the city.

Much of what interests most visitors is within easy walking distance of the Plaza de Armas. The major Inca ruins are within walking distance for energetic sorts who enjoy a good uphill hike.