Cusco | More than a stopover

When we added a whirlwind week in Peru to our itinerary we heard all about the wonder of the world, Machu Picchu, but very little about Cusco.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre sits in a valley of the Andes, with orange clay roofs climbing the hills on every side, and a tangle of lively cobblestone streets bustling with stray dogs and friendly townspeople. Cusco is often just a stop on the way from point A (Lima Airport) to point B (Machu Picchu) but as we started exploring, we were pleasantly surprised to find an unpolished gem. The in-between town had charm in every colourful corner just waiting to be discovered.

Get Grounded

One of the first things we look for after arriving in a city or town is a Free Walking Tour. It may sound kinda cliché, but we’ve found them to be incredibly helpful in getting our bearings fast in new and unfamiliar places. The tour guides are walking encyclopedias and they accept whatever gratuities you can afford at the end, which is exceptional value for travellers like us. And at almost 4 hours long we got a ton out of this one.

Our favourite part of the tour was being introduced to Chicha in a local bar. Chicha is an Andean beverage thousands of years old made from a process similar to beer using fermented maize (aka corn). Inside the Chichíera – which was no more than a living room with a couple tables, a back room with charred black pots for brewing, and some locals sitting around chatting – we learned that the drink used to be so popular that girls were taught the brewing process in school. Over the years the tradition has been lost. We sampled a sip in the presence of one of the last remaining Chicha makers in Cusco. As instructed, we poured a little on the ground as an offering to Pachamama, the Earth Mother, before having a taste. It was a lot like beer, but a little sweet and sour.

Sexy Savings

The next day we set out to see if we could visit the local ruins for cheap. Like, zero dollars cheap. Saqsayhuaman (pronounced “Sexy Woman”) sits high up on the hills overlooking Cusco. You can pay an entrance fee to get in, or, like we did, you can walk straight up the (steep) steps from town towards Cristo Blanco and walk down along the side of the ruins. It proved to be a challenging trek as the path up the hill was unmarked and, apparently on this day, guarded by a pack of snarling dogs. With a little patience (for the dogs to disperse) and perseverance, we soon arrived at an incredible view of town behind us and the Inca ruins beside us. As we were heading Machu Picchu in a couple days, this was exactly what we wanted to see of Saqsayhuaman, for exactly the right price.

A Delectable Peruvian Dinner

Like many travellers, one of the best parts about exploring a new culture for us is tasting its food. We had some great market lunches in Cusco, but after saving up for a few days we were hankering for a bit of a splurge in the form of a delicious Peruvian meal. Pachapapa came highly recommended and didn’t disappoint.

We were greeted by a delightful cozy garden circling a wood stove, the perfect serene escape from the active streets of San Blas. The simple yet mouth-watering menu boasted modern takes on traditional Peruvian dishes such as quinoa salad, locally sourced smoked trout and impeccably cooked Chicharrón. If you’re feeling more adventurous and have an hour to spare you could order Cuy, or as you probably know it, guinea pig.

Settling in at Supertramp

Cusco and the surrounding Sacred Valley sit at a high altitude so if you’re arriving by air as we did you’ll need a few days to adjust. Armed with plenty of altitude sickness pills, all we needed was a comfortable space to call home for a couple of low-key days while our bodies adjusted. Supertramp was just the place.

The staff welcomed us like family and we were quickly at home lounging in the restaurant overlooking Cusco. While 8-bed dorms aren’t for everyone, Supertramp made us feel comfortable. The hostel is scattered with lounge areas and each bed comes with curtains for privacy. If you want to mingle there are endless interesting guests and staff to chat with in the attached restaurant, Palate. They even coordinated our Machu Picchu trip for us where we spent two nights at their Aguas Calientes location.

We had a quick four nights in Cusco and felt like we only scratched the surface. So if you’re on your way to Machu Picchu don’t pass through this captivating town too quickly.

How did you spend your stopover in Cusco or the surrounding Sacred Valley?