Walking the streets of Cusco, it’s not hard to believe that the city used to be the seat of the Incan Empire. Incan stones provide a sturdy base for many buildings throughout the city and their influence is still felt everywhere, 500 years after their demise. Food and drink especially show Incan roots as corn and quinoa are found in dishes from candy bars to street food snacks to soups and main dishes. Most prominently, there are numerous tour companies offering glimpses into the lives of the Incans by visiting their ruins in the Sacred Valley, with the ultimate being Machu Picchu.

A fountain in the main square with one of the cathedrals behind it.

Out of 11 total days in Cusco, we spent three of those on tours in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. That left us with eight days to explore the city and get to know our neighborhood. We spent our first two days relaxing in our hotel room (primarily to adjust to the altitude) and visiting tour agencies to select one for our tours. We also took both Sundays off of sightseeing to watch football (one week, we even got the Lions game!) and take it easy. Despite all of that, we still had plenty of time to visit the museums and plazas around Cusco.

This is the view of our hotel (the 5-story white building) on our walk to the San Blas square, overlooking the city of Cusco.

The main plaza in Cusco, the Plaza de Armas, is a central location in the city and one we passed through often. Flanked by two large cathedrals and filled with restaurants, shops, and currency exchanges, it’s a nice place to sit and people-watch. From the square, roads lead in every direction within the valley and connect one neighborhood to the next.

The cathedral in the Plaza de Armas – the center of Cusco. We had a lot of clouds and overcast days while in Cusco, but that didn’t keep us inside!

One of the streets leading off of the main plaza is known for its Incan stonework. The base of the buildings are all built upon the stones and a small cobblestone street runs between. We walked this street many times, always stopping to admire the close-fitting stones. The Incans are known for their masonry, using no mortar or filling in their walls. Over 500 years later, they are still fit snugly together, not allowing enough room for a credit card or piece of paper to slip between the cracks. They stand in direct contrast to the Spanish walls, which are filled with small pebbles, sand, and other objects used to occupy the spaces between the stones.

The stones fit together so perfectly that no mortar or filling is needed. It was incredible to see each time we walked past!

Armed with the boleto turistico (a tourist ticket, used to enter 16 different museums and ruins in/around Cusco), we checked off more than half the sites listed over the course of our stay. Some were more impressive than others, but we liked the variety and opportunity to visit a few that we ordinarily would just walk past.

The Regional History Museum is located in the home of a 16^th century Incan historian; Garcilaso de la Vega was the first to provide a written history of the Incans. The museum houses a large quantity of artifacts, from the pre-Incan days to the Incan period and following the Spanish conquest of Peru. There are many paintings from the Cusco Academy from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. While the collection was interesting, it was just as appealing walking around the former home and seeing a bedroom as it was while he had been living there. Since we visited the museum toward the beginning of our time in Cusco, it was a good introduction to the Incas and what we would be learning about in the following days.

We found some unique flowers in the courtyard of the Regional History Museum.

My favorite site that we visited within Cusco itself was not listed on our boleto turistico, so we had to pay the admission to enter. At only 10 soles per person (about $3 each), it was well worth the small additional cost. Qoricancha is a unique site, as it was a Sun Temple during the Incan period. After the Spanish conquest, they knocked down many of the walls and built their cathedral, Santo Domingo, on top. The building showcases both styles of architecture, with the base being the Incan stonework and the rest of the building a Spanish and Catholic design. The cathedral is still in use and happened to be hosting a wedding while we were touring, allowing us a look into a Peruvian ceremony. The rest of the building has been turned into a museum, with information on the history of the site and views out the windows over the city.

The outside of Qoricancha – the Incan stonework was used as the base of the Spanish cathedral that was built upon the top of the ruins.

In addition to the two museums that I have just described, we used our boleto turistico to gain entrance into the Contemporary Art Museum (not typically our style, but since it was included, we spent a half hour looking at the artwork) and the Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha (a small museum, interestingly built underneath the gardens of Qoricancha). We also enjoyed walking through our neighborhood of San Blas, situated on the side of a hill and giving us vast views over the entire city of Cusco.

The San Blas Cathedral and square, just a few minutes walk from our hotel and near where we would normally eat lunch and dinner.

Aside from the altitude, Cusco was a wonderful city and gave us the perfect base from which to explore its museums, ruins, and other historical sites. It would be easy to return to Cusco on a vacation in the future, to spend more time exploring the places we did not get to visit on this trip. There is enough to do, see, and eat to keep someone occupied for a week or two, as our 11 days in the city proves. While we were busy during our time there, the city is relaxing and comfortable enough that we never felt rushed or in a hurry; we enjoyed taking our time and exploring.

Walking down the cobblestone street with Incan stones used as the base of buildings.