Location:
Located in the Andean Zone, the southeastern part of Peru, it is 3399 meters above the sea level (11151 feet).

Distances:
From Lima: 1165 km (724 miles) through Nasca.
From Arequipa: 625 km (388 miles).

Population:
About 93,000 inhabitants.

Climate:
In this city the temperate climate predominates, corresponding to the quechua region. Its climate can be divided into two seasons: wet and dry. The wet season starts from December to March and the dry season from April to November. Its average annual temperature is 15ºC.

History:
According to legend, in the 12th century Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, children of the Sun (Inti), left the Titicaca lake, sent by their father who ordered them the mission to found a new Empire on a more productive land, for that reason he gave them a great golden rod, which when plunging into the ground until it disappeared, it would indicate that they had arrived to the right place to found the new Empire.

In the Huanacaure hill the rod plunged and there they founded the city of 'Qosqo' that means 'the earth's navel' that later become the capital of the great Inca empire.

The Incas expanded in less than one hundred years their frontiers from the North of Quito in Ecuador to the South of Santiago de Chile. In eastern direction they reached Argentina. Although the Incas are not well known in the western world, they were bigger than many ancient cultures intensively studied.
The reigns of the first eight incas - Manco Capac and those who succeeded him - spanned a period from around the 12th century to the early 15th century. These Incas left signs of their existance, though the remains of some of their palaces can still be seen in Cusco.

1. Manco Capac.- the palace of Colcampata is traditionally attributed to this first Inca.
2. Sinchi Roca.- some of the walls of his palace the Palace of Cora Cora, can be seen in the courtyards of houses to the right of Suecia Street.
3. Lloque Yupanqui
4. Mayta Capac
5. Capac Yupanqui
6. Inca Roca.- the huge blocks of this Inca's palace now form the foundations of the Religious Art Museum and include the famous 12-sided stone of Hatunrumiyoc.
7. Yahuar Huaca
8. Viracocha Inca
9. Pachacutec.- he began the empire's great expansion.
10. Tupac Yupanqui.- by his death the Inca Empire extended from Quito in Ecuador to south of Santiago in Chile.
11. Huayna Capac.- the last to rule over a united empire.
12. Huascar.- a civil war started between him and his brother(from father's side) Atahualpa because Atahualpa did not recognize his power. At the end, Atahualpa defeated Huascar and he retired to Cajamarca to rest.

Machu Picchu
Photograph: PromPerú

Plaza de Armas del Cusco
Photograph: PromPerú

Street of Cusco
Photograph: Juan Luis Tord

The Spanish arrived in Cusco late 1533 and were astonish by the beauty of the capital city. Eyewitnesses described the place as a city of gold and light. Streets were quiet, the Incas had no horses and the biggest domestic animal was the llama which can't be used to pull any kind of cart. Street life was quiet because only the inhabitants on sandals walked there. Every street was clean and had two canals: one as sewerage and on the other side of the street a canal with fresh and clean river water.

After the Spanish stole all the gold and other valuables, they burned Cusco totally. Only the foundations, made by the Incas to overcome earthquakes and time, survived the disaster. Cusco is today the most beautiful city in Latin America, proud of its traditions and customs.

Description:
Cuzco or Qosqo was built in the shape of an enormous puma. The body of the puma contained the most important palaces, temples and governmental buildings while the fortress just outside the city, known as Sacsayhuamán, formed the head of this sacred animal. The square between the legs of the puma is the Main Square.

The city today is a strange mixture of Inca architecture and the Spanish-Moorish colonial style. The Spanish destroyed unfortunately most of the temples in Cusco for building catholic churches. Inside the Santa Domingo you can still visit the temples built in name of the natural elements as lightning, rain, Moon (Quilla), Sun (Inti), wind, etc.

The city has lots of archaeological ruins, and inca stone constructions like quite wide plazas, temples and palaces that according to chronicles, were decorated with gold, like the temple of Coricancha and the most admired Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, main tourist attraction of Peru.

The constructions of colonial origin have been built on the foundations of Inca temples and Cuzco, main tourist center of Peru, has been declared by the UNESCO 'Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity' and ' Archaeological Capital of America '.

The Inka Trail:

The Inca Trail is Peru's best known hike combining a stunning mix of Inca ruins, mountain scenery, lush cloudforest and rich subtropical jungle. Over 250 species of orchid have been counted in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, as well as numerous birds such as hummingbirds, waterfowl and the majestic Andean Condor. The star of the Sanctuary is the spectacled bear - a shy, herbivorous animal that is extremely rare and close to extinction.

Essentially the Inca Trail is a mountainous jungle hike leading to the sacred Inca city of Machu Picchu. The 39,6 km trek is usually covered in 4 days, arriving at Machu Picchu at daybreak on the final day before returning to Cusco by train in the afternoon. The trek is rated moderate and any reasonably fit person should be able to cover the route. It is fairly challenging nevertheless, and altitudes of 4200m are reached, so ensuring that you are well acclimatized is important.

The Inca Trail can be hiked year round although the months of May till October are probably more comfortable since the weather is drier. June through August is the high season when the trail can become crowded and the campsites full. The recommended time to visit is from April to October when the weather is dry and hot.

The fauna is abundant and varier. The existence of species in danger of extinction such as the spectacled bear, the Cock-of-the-Rocks, the dwarf deer, etc., is one of the reasons why the government decided to declare this area a Conservation Unit.

The large natural areas are filled with a variety of forest species which vary according to the habitat. The forest vegetation is represented by trees such as cedar, romerillo or intimpa, laurel, etc. Experts have identified more than 90 species of orchids, and many species of begonias and puya cacti.
Apart from what we have mentioned above, there is also the Incas cultural heritage. The Inca Trail, which was a feat of engineering, crosses dense forests and deep canyons. There are 18 archaeological complexes dotted along the trail which can be explored in all their splendor.

There are 3 main alternative treks to the Inca Trail that both end at Machu Picchu. The first and most popular alternative is the Short Inca Trail which can be completed in 1 or 2 days. This is an easier trek and starts further along the Vilcanota River Valley closer to Machu Picchu at a place called kilometer 104. The second trek is a more strenuous 6 or 7 day hike via Salkantay, a beautiful snowcapped mountain.