Peru – Cusco & our fav. Inca Ruins

The historic area of Cusco has many narrow cobblestone streets, plazas and ruins and is easy to wander about. Cusco was invaded by the Spaniards in 1535 where many of the original Inca structures were destroyed and rebuilt in their own style.
Plaza de Armas is huge with lots of restaurants and shops around it.
img_0798The Basilica Catedral is on one side of the plaza and is big with 3 churches within the one building, each church all very different.
p1120069The Church of Santo Domingo and its gardens are impressive compared to many of the buildings in the area.
p1120038p1120041Ceramic bulls can be seen on the roofs of many buildings around Cusco and the surrounding areas to signify the Spanish era.

original roof design, we like this guy!

original roof design, we like this guy!

p1120094We went to many Inca Ruins in the area the best in our opinion being:
1. Machu Picchu, why of course, where we spent a whole day hiking the site. You can either hike the Inca trail in here in 4 days/ 3 nights or go by train at a small price(not!) to Aguas Caliente, which is worth staying over at to relax and have a hot shower after enjoying the site. Machu Picchu was never found by the Spaniards and therefore in good condition after being identified in 1911 by a man from Yale, Hiram Bingham. It is thought that the rich Incas from Cusco used this site as their country holiday destination in the Urubamba Valley.

Machu Picchu ruins with Huayna Picchu in the background

Machu Picchu ruins with Huayna Picchu in the background

The whole site was amazing, including the hike up Montaña Huayna Picchu to look down over Machu Picchu and along the valley. Yes it was as steep as it looks. Below is the view from Huayna Picchu back to Machu Picchu.

p1120147No wonder the Spaniards didn’t find it.
img_0863
We hiked 11km in total that day and oh yes we deserved the beers and hot shower after.

2. Ollantaytambo is a town and site along the Sacred Valley and is surrounded by 3 mountains where you could see Inca ruins all around you. There were 247 steps to climb to the top of the main site, good exercise in this altitude.

Inca ruins or searching the net

Inca ruins or searching the net?

img_0820

can you see the Face and ruins on this mountain

can you see the Face and ruins on this mountain

3. Also In the Sacred Valley Pisac was really impressive sitting on a huge mountain side, where various Inca communities had lived. It was a big structure and we could have wandered around here for hours to the various ruins to admire the views. The Inca terraces were about 6ft tall and originally built for protection (erosion control and from enemies) and of course for agriculture purposes.
img_0806p1120088

loved the Inca floating stairs

loved the Inca floating stairs

4. Saqsayhuaman close to Cusco, where you got to appreciate huge boulders and wondered how the Incas built these walls shaping and polishing the boulders together with no mortar.
p1120043

these boulders are huge

these boulders are huge

We did go and see a lot more ruins than these and its definitely amazing how they built these walls and Terraces. We’re Inca’d out so we’ll leave you with the best in our opinion.
p1120135