Peru

South America's archaeological capital and oldest continuously inhabited city, Cuzco is now an important link in the region's travel network. Its legacy as the hub of the Incan empire is readily apparent: Quechua-speaking Incan descendants crowd the centuries-old stone-walled city streets.

Before the 20th century

Legend has it that in the 12th century, the first Inca, Manco Capac, the son of the sun, was charged by Inti, the sun god, to find qosq'o (the navel of the earth) - a spot where he could plunge a golden rod into the ground until it disappeared. When Manco discovered such a point, he founded the city that was to become the thriving capital of the western hemisphere's greatest empire.

The reigns of the first eight Incas spanned from the 12th century to the early 15th century (originally, 'Inca' meant 'king'). These Incas left few signs of their existence, though remains of some palaces can still be seen in Cuzco. The ninth Inca, Pachacutec, gave the empire its first bloody taste of conquest. Until his time, the Incas had dominated only a modest area near Cuzco. However, the Chanka tribe's growing thirst for expansion led them to Cuzco in 1438. Viracocha Inca fled, but his third son refused to give up, rallying an army and managing to rout the Chanka. He subsequently changed his name to Pachacutec, proclaimed himself Inca and embarked upon the first wave of Incan expansion that was to eventually create the Incan empire. Over the next 25 years, he bagged much of the central Andes, including the region between the two great lakes of Titicaca and Junín.

Huayna Capac, the 11th Inca, was the last to rule over a united empire. Nevertheless, he marched to the northernmost limits of his empire, along the present-day Ecuador-Colombia border, and fought a long series of campaigns. Around this time, he had a son, Atahualpa.

However, Europeans soon discovered the New World, and brought with them Old World diseases. Epidemics, including smallpox and the common cold, swept the region. Huayna Capac died in such an epidemic around 1525. Before his death, he divided his empire, giving the northern part to Atahualpa and the southern Cuzco area to another son, Huascar.

When the Spanish reached Cuzco, they began keeping chronicles of Inca history as related by the Incas themselves. The most famous of these accounts is The Royal Commentaries of the Incas. In 1532, a meeting was arranged between Fransisco Pizarro and Atahualpa: Atahualpa was captured by armed conquistadors, who also killed thousands of unarmed Indians.

Pizarro entered Cuzco in November 1533, by which time he had appointed Manco, a half-brother of Huascar, as a new puppet Inca. But after a few years, the puppet rebelled. In 1536, Manco Inca laid siege to Cuzco with an army estimated at over a hundred thousand. It was only a desperate battle at Sacsayhuamán that saved the Spanish from annihilation, forcing Manco to retreat to Ollantaytambo and then into the jungle.

Once Cuzco had been captured, the Spaniards turned their attention to the newly founded capital Lima. Cuzco's importance waned - the gold and silver was gone, and many Incan buildings were pulled down to accommodate churches and colonial houses.

Modern history

The battles of Peruvian Independence in the 1820s achieved what the Incan armies never could, but it was the descendants of the conquistadors who wrested power from Spain, and life in Cuzco continued much as before.

The rediscovery of Machu Picchu in 1911 affected Cuzco far more than any event since the arrival of the Spanish, changing the city from a provincial backwater to Peru's foremost tourist center.

The other major event of historical significance during the 20th century was the earthquake of 1950, which badly destroyed the Dominican Priory and Church of Santo Domingo - the city's Incan architecture, however, withstood the rattling.

Cuzco received a Unesco World Heritage Listing in 1983.

Recent history

Cuzco's heavily renovated main stadium, Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega, bolstered the already substantial tourist population when it hosted a match during Copa América 2004.

Besides sport and ancient civilizations, Cuzco entered the political arena as host of the third South American Summit in 2004. This meeting brought together presidents or representatives from 12 South American nations - who went on to sign the Cuzco Declaration, announcing the foundation of the South American Community. This aims to aid the continent's internal trade relations through the unification of two existing trade agreements and the introduction of a common currency.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Cuzco's most distinct climatic feature is the pronounced contrast between the dry season, which lasts from about May to September, and the remaining wetter months of the year (with most rain falling between December and March). During the dry season, it's consistently sunny, with average daytime temperatures between 17 and 20°C (63-68°F), and cool to freezing nights, with the mercury hovering anywhere between a bone-tingling 1 and 7°C (34-45°F).

Whatever the time of year, note that you will likely experience extreme weather conditions on some sections of the Inca Trail.

Average weather

• Temperature
• Humidity am/pm
• Rainfall

Transport

Getting around

Catching a local bus is the cheapest way to get around, though for a little more there's a standard fare for taxi rides within the central area. A trip to just outside the airport won't break the bank either, though drivers have to pay an extra fee to enter the precinct. For a reasonable fare, you can hire a taxi for a whole day to visit sites around Cuzco.

The Tranvia (tel: 224 377) is a free-rolling tourist tram service that conducts two-hour tours of Cuzco, including the Plaza de Armas, Sacsayhuamán and San Blas. It leaves from Portal Comercio on the Plaza de Armas twice daily.

Getting there and away

Almost all departures and arrivals from Cuzco's Aeropuerto Alejandro Velasco Astete (tel: 222 611) are in the morning - climatic conditions make landing and take-off difficult in the afternoon. The airport is 2km (1.2mi) from the city center; frequent colectivo taxis run to/from Plaza San Francisco and Av Sol to just outside the airport precinct.

Hire car services are available at the airport and in Cuzco itself.

Cuzco has a long-distance bus terminal in Ttio, on the way to the airport. Buses to most major cities leave from here, though buses for towns around Cuzco leave from elsewhere - check before you jump on. Agencies on and near Plaza de Armas sell tickets for a commission. There are two options to get to Lima: the rough way via Abancay, Puquio and Nazca, and the comfortable but slower way via Arequipa. There are no buses to the southeastern jungles except for those to Quillabamba; several companies leave from the Santiago terminal in eastern Cuzco. For other jungle destinations, you have to fly, go by truck or on an expedition. There are daily trucks from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado during the dry season. Trucks leave from near Plaza Túpac Amaru, two blocks east of Tacna along Av Garcilaso. You could also get a bus to Urcos or Ocongate and wait for a truck there. Several companies offer through buses to Copacabana and La Paz in Bolivia.

Cuzco has two train stations. Estación Huanchac, near the end of Av Sol, serves Urcos, Sicuani, Juliaca and Puno. Estación San Pedro, next to the Mercado Central, serves Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. For the most up-to-date schedules, check www.perurail.com.

Tickets for the Machu Picchu train to Aguas Calientes are also sold from the Huanchac station (bring ID to buy tickets), but leave from Estación San Pedro (tel: 221 992) near the central market.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

While most travelers experience few problems in Cuzco, it's a sad fact that more tourists are robbed here than in any other Peruvian city. Avoid displays of wealth, leave valuables in a hotel safe, and take special care going to and from the Machu Picchu train station and central market, as these are prime areas for pickpockets and bag-slashers. Distraction tricks include spitting and tapping on your shoulder. Avoid walking by yourself late at night or very early in the morning. Those returning late from bars or setting off for the Inca Trail before sunrise are particularly vulnerable to 'choke and grab' attacks.

When taking cabs, use only official taxi firms - look for the company's lit number on top of the cab - lock your doors from the inside and never allow the driver to admit a second passenger.

Don't buy drugs. Dealers and police often work together, and Procuradores is one of several areas in which you can make a drug deal and get busted all within a couple of minutes. Women especially should not to let go of their glass or accept drinks from strangers; spiking drinks has been frequently reported.

Beware of altitude sickness if you're flying in from sea level.