HOME > Featured City > Cuzco/Machu Picchu-Introduction of cities

Cusco, an alpine city in southern Peru (3,360 meters above sea level), prospered in the days of the Incaian Empire. The seasons are reversed to that of Japan, with summer from October to April. In addition, the rainy season is from December to February. Because of the high altitude, the average temperatures are low and when traveling here, you should take care not to come down with light mountain sickness. Cusco means “navel” in Quechan, the Incan language. Because the Incans worshipped the sun god, they used gold in decorating various places inside the city. In those days, the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, (Temple of the Sun), the Golden Fountain in the plaza, and other gold-studded structures dazzled in the sunlight. Cusco prospered as the capital city of the Incaic Empire and governed an extensive area from southern Columbia to northern Chili. The city has many Spanish colonial-style houses made of stone. Since the Incans are said to have never discovered paper or an alphabet during the course of their civilization, their construction methods or procedures are shrouded in mystery. Even today, it may be difficult to construct many of these huge, elaborate structures. The Sacsayhuaman castle wall is mysterious enough to convince us of the myth that it was built overnight by God. The Incans expressed what they saw precisely as they were in their abstract historiated drawings, making it hard to believe that the people with such an excellent ability for expression did not use any letters. It was in the 16th century that Spain conquered the Incaian Empire. It is said that the Spanish chronicled the circumstances of the times after invading the empire. The Spanish people then became involved in the development of Cusco, building Catholic churches and Spanish-style structures on the stonework foundations. The combination of these colonial structures with the stone structures built by the Incas gives a unique atmosphere to the city. The streetscapes give us a glimpse of the city’s long history of prosperity and suffering. As there are no direct flights between Japan and Peru, the route generally taken is one involving a transit stop in the U.S. After transferring in the U.S., you can reach Lima, Peru’s capital, within a day’s time. Cusco is a one-hour flight from Lima. Note that this flight is only allowed to depart between 5:00am-11:00am under visual flight rules and is subject to delays or cancellation depending on the weather conditions. You can also take a long-distance bus from Lima. The trip takes about 20 hours via Abancay and the fare is about US$17.40. Major sightseeing destinations, restaurants, and hotels are concentrated in the Armas Plaza, making it easy to travel between these places. To access the suburbs, taxis, local buses, and colectivoes (shared taxis) are available. Note that colectivoes leave for their destinations when there are more than five or more passengers.