7 unmissable places in the Cusco city

Cusco is the most beautiful city in Latin America. This city was declared a World Heritage Site for preserving the remains of Inca temples and constructions in the foundations of colonial houses and churches in which this mixture of two cultures can be observed while you walk through its streets and squares. And here I leave you the list of the best places you should visit in Cusco city.

Sacsayhuaman

In the north of the historic center of Cusco is Saqsayhuaman, here you can walk (40 minutes) you can also arrive by car (10 minutes). This Inca fortress began to be built in the 15th century by the order of Pachacutec.

If you have time, you can do the Cusco city tour or the 4 ruinas Cusco tour that can take you a morning or an afternoon, first visiting the cathedral and the Qoricancha and then the 4 ruinas Cusco: Tambomachay, Puka pukara, Qenqo, and Sacsayhuamán.

San Blas Neighborhood

San Blas is the most beautiful and charming neighborhood to see in Cusco and it is located just a couple of blocks from the main square. In this neighborhood, there are numerous viewpoints of the city. This neighborhood is known as bohemian because it has many different bars.

Qorikancha (Temple of the sun)

Qorikancha was the temple of the sun built by the Incas. It is said that its exterior and interior walls were lined with gold. With the invasion of the Spanish, the Santo Domingo Convent was built on top of Qorikancha, destroying the upper part of the Inca temple.

Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is the center of the city and one of the places to visit. Formerly this square was the administrative center of the entire INCA Empire but with the arrival of the Spanish, numerous buildings and churches were built around the square, on top of the Inca temples and palaces.

At present, the square is surrounded by restaurants of large chains such as McDonald’s or Starbucks, and other tourist restaurants, also here you will find travel agencies and souvenir shops. In the square, you can also see the Cathedral of Cusco and the Church of the Society of Jesus. The Cathedral of Cusco is huge and occupies the main place in the square with a mixture of Baroque, Gothic, and Plateresque styles. Next to the Cathedral is the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, one of the most beautiful churches in Peru.

The 12-angle stone

On Hatun Rumiyoc Street is the Stone of the 12 angles, famous for its twelve angles. On this street, you can find souvenir shops and even a restaurant without forgetting photographers who can take a classic-style photo.

San Pedro Market

Another of the must-see places in Cusco is the Mercado de San Pedro, which is the central market of the city and is the oldest and most well-known. This was built by the famous architect Gustav Eiffel (author of the Eiffel Tower) and inside you will see stalls of all kinds of typical Peruvian products such as passion fruit, tumbo, tuna, granadilla, blueberries, chuta bread, corn, the Andean potato and others more common in all markets.

It is also a good place to buy handicrafts and try typical Cusco dishes. A good way to get to know this market is to do the gastronomic tour that includes a visit to the central market and the preparation of typical dishes such as ceviche and pisco sour.

The White Christ

Following the track, to Sacsayhuamán you will arrive at Cristo Blanco (an 8-meter statue). This is a magnificent point to look at the city and have a beautiful view of Cusco and its mountains.