Peru Cusco Travel Guide - Peru Hotels - Cusco Hotels - Machu Picchu Tours

Geographic Information

"The Archaeological Capital of America" is the largest and most visited tourist attractions of Peru. Cusco was the largest city and capital of the Inca empire, "the Tahuatinsuyo" (which encompasses much of Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile), then won by the Spanish conquistadors, hence its current architecture is a fusion of Inca style and Iberian. Its people maintain with great pride their customs and traditions. It also seems essential to know the mystic and enigmatic citadel of Machu Picchu as the Spaniards were never able to find and that was discovered by Western culture in 1911. Due to its historical value and beauty, Cusco, like Machu Picchu, is listed as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. With the Sacred Valley and its beautiful sites, Cusco awaits your visit. Take a few days to discover!

In Cusco, tourist services are very different, hotels and inns are numerous and varied, as travel agents, adventure sports, restaurants, craft centers, bars and anything else you may want. The tourism industry influence of a crucial development services and products. There is now an appropriate infrastructure that ensures the stay of tourists arrive each year in large quantities.

In this section you will also find data geographic, economic, and other addresses. The modern Cusco vibrates to the rhythm of its most important activity: tourism.

How to get Cusco?

  1. By air:

    1. Domestic flights from Lima (1 hour) and from Arequipa (30 minutes) to Cusco.

  2. By land:

    1. Lima - Arequipa – Cusco 1650 km (26 hours by car)

    2. Lima – Nazca – Puquio – Abancay – Cusco: 1131 km (20 horas by car)

    3. Puno – Cusco: 389 km (07 hours by car)

  3. By train:

    1. Regular service Puno – Cusco: 384 km (10 hours).

 

Location

Cusco is located in Huatanay River Valley, in the southeasts Andes of Peru, in the jurisdiction of province and region Cusco, its high is 3,399 m.s.n.m. (11151,44 feet above the level sea), it's located at 13°30'45'' south latitude and at 71°58'33'' west longitude from Greenwich Meridian.

 

 

Reference Time

When in Peru it's 12:00, in Santiago and Caracas it's 13:00; in Río de Janeiro and Buenos Aires it's 14:00, at New York it's 12:00 and in Tokyo it's 02:00 of the following day. 

 

Altitude

Cusco is approximately over 3,399 m.s.n.m. (11151,44 feet above the level sea) high.Is for this reason that Cusco is considered one of the highest cities in all the world. Cusco is approximately over 3,399 m.s.n.m. (11151,44 feet above the level sea) high.Is for this reason that Cusco is considered one of the highest cities in all the world.

 

Weather

The weather on April to October is very comfortable, warm and dry. The temperature in this season goes from 5.0° to 20° Celsius.

This rainy season starts on November and it lasts until May; at the beginnings of this season, the rain is light and as the season continues the rain becomes more intense during the months of January through March.

There isn't too much uniformity between summer and winter. Normally in winter is cold at night and during the first hours in the morning the temperature raises until the noon. At sunny days the temperature reaches 20°C.

We recommend to tourists, to take warm clothing and also rain wear to the rainy season.

 

Population

The number of people living in Cusco is of 304.152 inhabitans and in the entire department there are 1.158.142 inhabitants.

 

 

Administrative Division

The total area of Cusco has 71.891,97 sq Km and it is divided politically in 13 provinces (Acomayo, Anta, Calca, Canas, Canchis, Chumbivilcas, Cusco, Espinar, Paucartambo, La Convención, Paruro, Quispicanchi y Urubamba). The city has 8 distritcs (Ccorca, Cusco, Poroy, San Jerónimo, San Sebastián, Saylla, Wanchaq y Santiago).

 

Peru Location

Peru covers 1,285,220 km² (496,193 sq mi). It neighbors Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.