In the past few years, the city of Cusco has evolved as far as concepts of service quality, as well as in the quantity and diversity of offer and demand of more specific services is concerned. A few years ago, the visitor who got to Cusco had the city, sacred valley and Machu Picchu as only options for visits. Today, this changed and there is a varied offer of services for who seeks new alternatives, such as participative, ecological, mystical, adventure and rural tourism.
Ecotourism, also known as sustainable tourism or responsible tourism, refers to a form of travel that seeks to minimize the negative impact on the environment and local communities while promoting the conservation of nature and culture. In essence, it is about traveling in a responsible and conscious manner, taking into account both the natural environment and the needs of local communities.
Ecotourism in Cusco offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning natural beauty and rich culture of this Peruvian region while focusing on environmental conservation and respect for local communities. Below, you will find some activities and destinations related to ecotourism in Cusco:
Hiking and trekking: Cusco offers a wide range of trekking routes, from the famous Inca Trail to less traveled routes such as Salkantay, Lares and Choquequirao. These treks will take you through breathtaking natural landscapes.
Tambopata National Reserve: Located in the Amazon rainforest, this reserve is perfect for wildlife watching and learning about the rainforest.
Bird watching: Cusco is a paradise for bird lovers. The region is home to numerous endemic and migratory bird species that you can observe in their natural habitat. Condor watching in Chonta is an experience not to be missed.
Mystical tourism in Cusco is a unique experience that combines the region's rich spiritual heritage with its impressive archaeological and cultural heritage. Cusco, being the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, has a deep connection to the spiritual traditions of the Inca civilization and offers a number of mystical and spiritual experiences for travelers interested in exploring this aspect of the local culture. Here are some activities and places related to mystical tourism in Cusco:
Machu Picchu: Many travelers find a deep spiritual connection when visiting Machu Picchu because of its impressive mountain setting and ancient history. Some local guides can provide spiritual interpretations of this archaeological site.
Temple of the Sun (Qorikancha): This ancient Inca temple, dedicated to the Sun god, is an important place in Inca cosmology. You can visit the Qorikancha to learn about Inca spiritual beliefs and their relationship with the cosmos.
Offering ceremonies to Pachamama: Pachamama is the mother earth in Inca mythology and is revered in the region. Some local communities and guides offer offering ceremonies to Pachamama as a way to connect with nature and Andean spirituality.
Traditional Andean Medicine: In Cusco, you can find practitioners of traditional Andean medicine offering coca readings, energetic cleansings and other spiritual treatments based on ancestral wisdom.
Stone of the 12 Angles: This famous stone in Cusco, located on a street near the Plaza de Armas, is known for its enigmatic shape and the precision with which it was carved. It is believed to have special spiritual and energetic properties.
Sacred mountains: Cusco is surrounded by mountains that the Incas considered sacred. Some travelers choose to hike mountains such as Apu Salkantay or Ausangate to connect with the spirituality of nature.
Local festivals: If you have the opportunity to visit Cusco during a traditional festival or celebration, such as Inti Raymi, you can experience Andean spirituality at its best through dances, rituals and ceremonies.
Is a form of travel that involves participating in exciting and often challenging activities in natural or cultural settings, with the goal of experiencing excitement, adrenaline and exploration. This type of tourism focuses on outdoor activities and usually takes travelers to remote or natural locations where they can interact directly with nature and experience intense emotions.
Here are some adventure activities:
Hiking and Trekking: Cusco offers some of the most spectacular trekking routes in the world. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the most famous, but you can also explore less traveled routes such as Salkantay, Lares, and Choquequirao.
Rafting: The rivers around Cusco, such as the Urubamba River, offer exciting rafting opportunities. There are rafting routes of different levels of difficulty, making it suitable for both beginners and experts.
Mountain Biking: Cusco's mountains and valleys are ideal for mountain biking. You can ride along ancient roads and winding trails while enjoying beautiful panoramic views.
Rural tourism, also known as countryside tourism or agritourism tourism, refers to a form of travel that has as its main objective the experience of life in rural areas and participation in activities related to life in the countryside and agriculture. This type of tourism takes place in rural communities and destinations far from urban areas, and offers visitors the opportunity to connect with nature, local culture and the rural lifestyle. Here are some activities and places related to rural tourism in Cusco:
Visiting Local Communities: You can visit rural communities in the mountains and valleys of Cusco. These communities usually offer homestays, which gives you the opportunity to live with the local people and learn about their traditions and lifestyle.
Agriculture and Livestock: Participate in agricultural activities such as planting and harvesting Andean crops like potatoes, quinoa or corn. You can also help in livestock tasks, such as herding alpacas and llamas.
Handicrafts: Learn about traditional Andean handicrafts, such as pottery, weaving and ceramics, from local artisans. You can even participate in workshops to create your own handicrafts.
Tourism in peru is clearly participative or cultural, reaching an average 21 day stay per individual. We understand as participative the kind of tourism that develops around the live experience between the visitor and receptor family who teaches him/her about their daily habits and customs. It is the opportunity to live in farmers houses, learn about their life, customs and traditions such as plowing the fields with cattle, preparing bread and sow products of the area. Sharing a live experience in one of Cusco's Andean communities is a unique opportunity to get to know the Pacha Mama (Mother Earth in Quechua), the ayllus (Communities), as they are known and the ayni (reciprocity) are ways of social organization and traditions which have survived for hundred of years and the community members (Cumuneros), as they are also known, are very friendly people. Therefore, visitors to these areas, will live an unforgettable experience, as they will develop special mutual collaboration experience that will teach them something personal. But, it also is a search for environmental conservation, collaborating with reforestation of native plants and beneficial fruit trees. In these Ayllus, pure and biological food is obtained and eaten, such as quinua, corn of different colors, cañihua, kiwicha and maca which are only just a few of the wonderful products that can be appreciated in the region.
There are other similarly unbelievable and extraordinary options. You can accompany your tour with an excursion of the following ruins or in circumstance you have not reserved your entrances in time to Machu Picchu, you can visit the following options. We have organized a list of the best options in Cusco.
The Sacred Valley is another excellent option for those looking to accompaniment their trip. Inside it, you will discovery other archaeological sites such as Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac. Although it should be noted that these ruins, compared to Machu Picchu, tend to be smaller and more dispersed. You will have enough justifications to visit the brilliant Sacred Valley and its excellent landscapes. The many tours in Peru frequently make small excursions in these points, but if you desire to discover them in depth it would be good to plan a private or customized tour. With a Tourist Ticket you would visit up to 16 Inca ruins in the ten days it is typically valid. To get to the Sacred Valley, you will have to arrive Cusco first. To get to the Imperial City, you would come by bus or local flight. Usually, everybody selects to take a flight because it is the best option to travel in Peru. After your arrival, many tour operator will take you to the different points of the Sacred Valley to visit
Ollantaytambo is another beautiful option to Machu Picchu. Many even select to visit this fantastic site previously embarking on the journey to the citadel. The town of Ollantaytambo is one of the few that even preserves its habitual charm. It has been inhabited since the 13th century and is absolutely surrounded by Peruvian archaeological sites. The nearby site is a generous of temple and fortress. Being able to climb the terraces and appreciate the breathtaking views is a prodigious sight to behold. Getting to Ollantaytambo is comparatively simple, and you would organize it from Cuzco. You should take a cab or a bus, both of which are very reasonable. You would also elect to look for a guided tour that covers transportation. Note that the Cusco tourist ticket contains entrance to these brilliant ruins.
Sacsayhuaman is one of the best options to Machu Picchu. This amazing and great Inca site has some perfect views of the Cusco city’s. And this is not to indication that it is one of the most visited Inca ruins in Peru. This beautiful complex of ruins is one of the excellent samples of exactitude Inca stonework and architecture. You will be able to observe walls constructed with enormous stones, some of which weigh more than hundred tons. These stones installed together impeccably, leaving no room for even a knife blade among the stones. Visiting this fortress is extremely suggested, whether you go to the Inca citadel or not. If you are looking to go to Machu Picchu, previously starting your tour, we extremely recommend being able to visit this impressive site.
The archaeological park of Pisac is located on top of a ridge overlooking the eastern end of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Like most significant Inca sites, it is separated into 3 zones: agricultural, residential and ceremonial.
The agricultural terraces are the first thing you see when you arrive in Pisac. Walk along the top of the terraces and you will be at the foot of the residential area. The ceremonial section is at the contradictory end of a narrow ridge, 30 minutes to walk from the main section of the ruins.
Walk to the path down the ridge and through a minor tunnel to discovery curved walls made with classic Inca architecture of extremely fitting stones surrounding a ritual stone intihuatana. The Quechua word Intihuatana can be interpreted as "where the sun meets the earth". The most valued Intihuatana are in Machu Picchu, although none of them is as extraordinary, nor as absolutely conserved, as the one in Pisac.
Pisac possesses something else not discovered in Machu Picchu: an Inca cemetery. Hike nearby the back of the suburban area and you will come across a precipice dotted with holes (visualized above). Each hole was once a tomb, though all were looted long ago.
Waqra Pukara signifies "fortress with horns" in Quechua, and the appellation could not be more apposite. Two stone spires tower over the end of a ridge, endowing it with natural horns. Constructed atop a peninsula, it supervises a canyon far grander than the narrow valley under Machu Picchu.
Here, the Apurimac River currents more than 3,000 feet below. The peak and horns are normal, so until you get close, you may not perceive the architecture built into them. Once you see the stairs leading up to the site, you will also identify terraces and gateways built into the cliffs.
This place is not as conversational as Pisac and so far has not promoted its reconstruction as Machu Picchu has received, however the particular Inca design emphasizes the natural geology surprisingly like other Inca sites.
Tourism Cusco:
- Inti Raymi 2023
- Cusco and Machupicchu
- Cusco and Amazon
