TOURISM IN PERU

CUSCO PERU

Cuzco, Archaeological Capital of America was the main city of the Empire of the Tahuantinsuyo, being considered by the Incas like the "Navel of the World". Today it is the first tourist center of Peru and has been proclaimed by UNESCO like Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity.

CUSCO BASIC FACTS

- Area or Surface: 71,892 km².
- Main Resources: corn, barley, quinua, tea and coffee.
- Population: 1,097,000 inhabitants. The capital is Cuzco and has approximately 300,000 inhabitants.
- Number of Provinces and Districts: 13 provinces and 107 districts.
- Date of Department Foundation: April 26, 1822.
- Weather: The rainy season runs from May to September.

HISTORY

The notoriety of archaeological Cusco goes beyond the Inca Age, since the Cuzqueña Culture began at least 1000 years before Christ, when the Marcavalle Culture was effective. From there Chamepata began. The history of the contemporary culture of Pucara in Puno was lost until the Waris conquered the zone, including it in the Waris Empire. After Wari, the region with its potential and grew, first with the Killke Culture and the Inca later. From the Period Wari the City of Pikillacta and Killke times comes the own Sacsayhuaman and the foundations of the City of Cusco.

In the past, Cusco represented the center of Inca civilization. It was the capital of the Andean state of Tahuantinsuyo. According to legend, it was founded by Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo between the 11th and 12th centuries. Later by order of Spaniard Francisco Pizarro, this city was founded again in March 23, 1534.

GEOGRAPHY

Cusco is one of the most extensive departments of Peru. It has strong resistances of landscape where high mountain alignments are combined with expanded and plateaus of smooth relief, as well as deep valleys and cannon.

Like in all Andean regions, the main rivers have formed deep valleys and cannon. The most notable valleys and cannon are those formed by the Urubamba, Apurimac and Paucartambo Rivers.

The Valley of the Urubamba presents heavy stuffed alluvial in its floor where a dense population is based dedicated to agriculture. Below the 2.000 ms, the Urubamba it has formed a deep and narrow cannon that towards the neighborhoods of Machu Picchu, reaches its greater majesty and beauty, presenting a rare meander landscape. Due to the great diversity of altitudinal floors, the department has a great variety of climates and landscapes which powerfully influences in the agriculture and the distribution of the population.

TOURISM


Everything in Cusco is beauty because it locks up all the history of Peru, from its foundation to the retirement of the Spaniards. In the environs are important archaeological monuments like the Strength of Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, the Baths of TamboMachay, the platforms of Pisac, Ollantaytambo Fortress and the incomparable constructions of Machu Picchu, in the margin of the Urubamba River that was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, today well-known like the "Capital of America" or "Eternal City".

The most important tourist center of Peru is the great museums and churches has made of Cusco. The "Ways of the Inca" that were used by Peruvians to arrive at the citadel Machu Picchu to offer the possibility of finding with much Inca constructions that combined with the nature to gives an integral vision of the importance that had Machu Picchu.