Peru’s capital is a fantastic city to tour, dotted with a multitude of cultural sites and beautifully preserved architecture. Founded by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, Lima was first named ‘City of Kings’ – a biblical reference to the ‘Three Wise Men of the East’ – before its name was changed by the Spanish colonialists. The most significant historical buildings are located around the Plaza Mayor, the most notable being the Government Palace, where one can still observe the changing of the guard performed by the Húsares de Junín. The beautiful Cathedral and the various small palaces and colonial balconies also play their part in the beauty of the city. Another highlight is the famed Larco Herrera Museum, documenting the millennial cultures preceding the Inca civilization and containing a priceless collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, including some of South America's finest pre-Inca erotic pottery.
Within the quaint streets of present-day Ollantaytambo is an Inca fortress that was built to guard the entrance to this part of the valley and protect it from possible invasion from the jungle tribes. Later the Citadel of Ollantaytambo was the scene of the Inca resistance against the troops of Hernando Pizarro. This gigantic agricultural, administrative, religious and social complex is located 97 km from Cusco and includes a temple, platforms and an urban area. We can distinguish two areas: one called "Araqama Ayllu", an area linked to ritual and sacred activities, and the second "Qosqo Ayllu", dedicated to housing. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative centre, which probably also fulfilled military functions, as indicated by its walls and towers. There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a "Living Inca Town", because its people maintain ancient customs and traditions.
Located more than 6000 feet above sea level in Peru’s mountain peaks, Machu Picchu is one of the world’s most impressive archaeological sites. This legendary lofty city was abandoned by the Inca Empire, reclaimed by the jungle and lost to humanity until its rediscovery in 1911. Built by the Incas on the summit of "Machu Picchu" (Old Peak), in the middle of a tropical montane forest overlooking the canyon of the Urubamba, the 'Lost City of Machu Picchu' is a site of extraordinary beauty and enormous archaeological significance. The complex reflects the Inca Empire at its height, with giant walls, terraces and ramps appearing to have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The phenomenal technological skills of the Incan engineers can be seen in multiple facets of the site: the exacting precision of the massive stone buildings, the water channels revealing a deep understanding of hydraulics, and Intihuatana ("the highest point of the Sun"), which served as a solar calendar for regulating planting and harvesting.
Also known as Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas is located in the Peruvian Andes, beneath the world-famous site of Machu Picchu and not far from Cuzco, the unofficial Inca capital. This fertile valley is fed by a network of waterways and encompasses a wealth of archaeological sites, including Ollantaytambo, renowned for its extensive Inca ruins; Tipon, which features ancient agricultural terracing and a working irrigation system; and Pisac, with its ancient vestiges and colourful weekly market.
Once called the ‘Navel of the World’ by the Incas, the city of Cuzco still blends colonial Spanish charm with older, more austere remains of pre-Columbian glory – one can still see the foundations of Inca structures on many of its city streets today. Cuzco’s most important landmarks include sites from both Inca and colonial times, such as the Korikancha (the ancient Temple of the Sun), the Inca street of Loreto with its 12-cornered stones, the cathedral, the Museum of Colonial Art, the archaeological park of Saqsaywaman (the fortress-temple), the nearby funerary shrines of Kenqo, and the water-worship site of Tambomachay.
Situated high in the Andes Mountains on the border between Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is considered the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. The area was once a stronghold of Inca culture – and this ancient legacy is still evident in the many Inca ruins dotted across the shoreline, as well as the vibrant traditional handwoven textiles and clothes. Among the lake’s most popular attractions are the 42 floating reed islands of the Uros people, accessible from Puno in the east. On Santa Maria, the largest of these, tourists can arrange tours into private local homes to experience traditional culture.
