 Peru, the well-known home to the powers once ruling over the Incan empire, is a country still very much alive with many indigenous cultures and customs. Peru’s fascinating history incorporates these native traditions with those of the former European settlers and the African and Asian slaves brought to Peru during Spanish colonialism. Next to the Sacred Valley of the Incas in the Andes mountains, Cusco serves as the cultural center of this ethnic blend; in fact cusco is a Quechua word meaning “navel,” usually spelled cuzco in Spanish. Serving as the base point for Machu Picchu, and with easy access to many other Peruvian natural and man-made wonders, the elegant architecture of Cusco mixed with epic Inca monuments makes this World Heritage City once of the most awe inspiring in South America.
Things to do on a visit to Cusco:
- Have a gourmet meal overlooking the Plaza de Armas, Cusco’s main square.
- Try the local Peruvian delicacy of cuy (guinea pig or alpaca meat.
- Go shopping in the artisan workshops in the neighborhood of San Blas, famous for selling the brightly colored handmade goods of the best local craftsman.
- Alternatively, try shopping in the market for locals in the centre of town to see the long row of “juice ladies” fight for your order, before preparing a freshly made juice with the fruit of your choice.
- Watch a match of the Cusco club soccer/football team, Cienciano del Cuzco, one of the best in South America.
- Visit the Inca ruins of the Temple of the Sun, a former indigenous palace.
- Enjoy a Cusqueña, a beer brewed exclusively in Cusco, on a restaurant terrace.
- Take the breathtaking trip up to Machu Picchu, “The Lost City,” for the day, or hike the impressive Inca Trail high above the Sacred Valley.
- Visit the enormous ruins of Incan walls of the Sacsayhuamán fortress.
- Horse or bike ride throughout the Sacred Valleys impressive Inca ruins.
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Daily Life in Cusco
 While Cusco was a quiet agricultural village for much of the 19th and 20th century, its popularity among international visitors in the past few decades has transformed this sleepy town into a growing urban center. However, cusqueños have still very much managed to keep the city true to its aboriginal roots, with the main Cusco industries being agriculture, artisan goods, and, of course, tourism. After a typical work day, dinner is eaten around 6 or 7PM; Cusco is particularly known for fostering the development of trendy “neo-Andean” and Andean fusion cuisines, because of its constant cultural exchange with foreign visitors. On the weekends, you can find the young people in the city, both cusqueños and foreigners, populating the local bars and dance clubs of the city.
 History of Cusco
The seat of Incan power in pre-Columbian times, the city of Cusco was transformed from a small village to the control center for local Incan leaders in the first millennium. As in many South American cities, the Spanish made their first appearance in the mid-1500s. After proclaiming the beauty of the city, new Spanish colonial structures such as churches and mansions were built in a mixture of European and Incan architecture. Cusco remained successful during colonial times as an agricultural center, thus helping the city prosper and giving it a world-famous reputation for its cuisine. Cusco suffered a devastating earthquake in 1650, with more to come in the 20th century. Most Incan structures survived, while the Spanish buildings were destroyed. Demonstrations encouraging independence from Spain were seen in Cusco in the late 1700s and early 1800s, until Peru declared independence in 1821. In current times, Cusco has been bestowed with a number of honors as a world patrimonial site and is the largest tourist destination in Peru.
Go to Spanish Courses
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5. The City
