LIMA GENERAL INFORMATION

ALTITUDE
-Lowest point: 3 m / 10 ft (Ancon).
-Highest point: 861 m / 2825 ft (Chosica).

CLIMATE 
The city of Lima has an arid and semi-warm climate. The average annual maximum temperature is 22 C (71ºF) and the minimum is 17ºC (62ºF). The temperature increases in the years when the El Niño phenomenon occurs.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

LIMA CITY

Lima was founded in 1535 and in a short period of time became the most important city in the Americas. Today, there are more than eight million inhabitants, and the city shelters immigrants from all corners of the globe, which has transformed it into a mixed city par excellence. In the historic centre, placed by UNESCO on the World Cultural Heritage List, you can visit splendid samples of Colonial architecture like the Cathedral, the Convent of Santo Domingo, and the Convent of San Francisco as well as fantastically wood carven balconies. Lima is also an inexhaustible source of culture, demonstrated by the existence of numerous and varied museums like the National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archeological Museum, which guards priceless Incan and pre-Incan treasures. Situated in the heart of the city are great archeological monuments such as the Huallamarca Huaca or the Pucllana Huaca. And, on the outskirts of Lima facing the ocean is Pachacamac, the most important pre-Incan sanctuary on the coast, built in the third century A.D. Some of the other great attractions are the beaches where you can do all types of aquatic sports, enjoy the sun, or simply gaze at the mesmerizing beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

During this trip, you must also remember to sample one of the best cuisines in the world. The city offers a wide variety of restaurants and inviting locales where you will be able to taste delicious dishes, the result of the mixing of European, African, Asian, and Andean cuisines.

CUSCO GENERAL INFORMATION

ALTITUDE Capital: Cusco (3399 masl / 11.156 fasl) Altitude: Lowest point: 532 masl / 1745 fasl (Pilcopata) Highest point: 4801 masl / 15.751 fasl (Suyckutambo) CLIMATE  The city has a semi-dry and cold climate. The annual average maximum temperature is 19.6ºC (67.3ºF) and the minimum is 4.2ºC (39.6ºF). The rainy season starts in November and ends in March, and it is the time when the mountains are covered in green. Between June and July is the time of the intense cold (heladas) even with occasional snowfalls.

© Candis Waugh Girl near Cusco

MAIN ATTRACTIONS
 
Main Square, Cusco

During the Inca Empire, the square was called Huacaypata, a Quechua word meaning “place of tears” or “meeting place”. It was an important ceremonial spot where the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun was celebrated every year. It is also the place where Franciso Pizarro proclaimed the conquest of Cusco. After the Spanish arrived, the plaza changed. They erected stone arches and built the structures that surround it today.

Cathedral of Cusco

The building went through two construction stages: first, the Chapel of the Triumph was built on top of what used to be the temple Suntar Wasi (House of God); later, the cathedral itself was built over the remains of the palace of Inca Wiracocha. A Renaissance building in its majority, the interior decoration is rich in cedar and alder woodcarvings. The choir and the pulpit stand out for their beauty. An important collection of paintings from the Cusco School and silver wrought pieces are also kept there.

Templo de la Compañía de Jesús (Church of the Company of Jesus Christ)
Main Square

The original building was raised in 1571 on the grounds of the ancient palace of Inca Huayna Cápac, the Amarucancha. After the earthquake of 1650, it was rebuilt around 1688. The design and the façade are examples of Andean Baroque. The retable style entrance is decorated with medium size towers and the stonewalls are carefully worked. Once inside, the triple bodied upper altar with salomonic columns, the wooden pulpit, and numerous Baroque, Plateresque, and Churrigueresque shrines catch the eye. The most remarkable work of art is “El matrimonio de Martín García de Loyola con Beatriz Clara Coya“ (The Wedding of Martín García de Loyola with Beatriz Clara Coya).

Church and Convent of Santo Domingo / Koricancha
Plaza Intipampa, corner of Avenida El Sol and Calle Santo Domingo.

The Koricancha was one of the most impressive buildings of Inca Cusco according to the historians: the glowing gilding of the interior walls illuminated what used to be the main temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. The Spanish built the church and Dominican convent on top of the original structure around 1534 but they collapsed during the earthquake of 1650 and were rebuilt around 1681. The convent possesses an art gallery of valuable seventeenth and eighteenth century canvasses.

Sacsayhuaman Archeological Complex
2 km / 1 mile northeast of Cusco (10 minutes by car).

The area contains thirty-three archeological sites. The most famous is Fort Sacsayhuaman. It might well have been a religious structure, but for its location and style, the Spanish and the historians believe it was a military construction. The most important temple in Hanan Qosqo or Upper Cusco might have been located there, dedicated to Andean cosmology and to the worship of the Inti (sun), the Quilla (moon), Chaska (stars), Illapa (ray), and other divinities. It is described as massive for the size of some of its stones, which weigh between 90 and 120 tons. This is also the stage of the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun every 24th June.

Qenko Archeological Complex
3 km / 2 miles northwest of Cusco (15 minutes by car).

The Qenko or “labyrinth” might date from around 1500 A.D. It is considered a holy place where ceremonies

Pukapukara Archeological Complex
7 km / 4 miles northeast of Cusco (30 minutes by car or 2 hours on foot)

The complex contains several rooms, inner plazas, aqueducts, vantage points, and pathways. It might have served as a tambo or rest and lodging area. According to the tale, each time the Inca was able to go to Tambomachay, he would be accompanied by a large cortège, which stayed at Pukapukara. It is also called a fort because of its fortified-city appearance.

Tambomachay Archeological complex
8 km / 4 miles northwest of Cusco (35 minutes by car)

Tambomachay might have fulfilled an important religious function linked to water and the regeneration of the land. Some scholars believe it was built around 1500 A.D., closely linked with Pukapukara. The area covers about one hectare, and was made out of polygonal shaped set limestone.
 
City of Urubamba (2871 masl / 9419 fasl)
78 km / 48 miles northwest of Cusco on the route to Pisac (1 hour and 25 minutes by car). Another route is the one via Chinchero (57 km / 35 miles or 45 minutes by car)

It is located in the heart of the SacredValley. Before the Incas, it was a very important agricultural center. Today, the economy is based on farming and tourism, and the city itself is known for being one of the friendliest in the valley. Good tourist services are available in Urubamba.
 
Village of Chinchero (3772 masl / 12.375 fasl)
28 km / 17 miles northwest of Cusco (45 minutes by car)

A must see is the Colonial church where beautiful paintings of the CuscoSchool are kept. Every Sunday, the farmers and businessmen gather to exchange their products in a fair where they still barter. There are important archeological vestiges in the area.

Ollantaytambo Archeological Complex
97 km / 60 miles northwest of Cusco (2 hours and 30 minutes by car)

The Incas built it as a fort that included a temple, agricultural terraces, and an urban area. There are two distinct sectors: Araqama Ayllu, the religious and worship zone, and Qosqo Ayllu, the residential area. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative center with probable military functions if one considers the walls and towers.

There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a Living IncaTown since the inhabitants maintain very old practices and customs. From Ollantaytambo, you can visit the village of Willoc, where the Quechua-speaking inhabitants distinguish themselves from the rest of the region by wearing red clothing that identifies them as members of a unique family.

Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary 110 km / 68 miles northwest of Cusco (4 hours by train) to the village of Machu Picchu and then another 8 km / 5 miles to the citadel (20 minutes by bus) Machu Picchu is an impressive Inca citadel placed on the side of a mountain. Its Quechua name means “Old Mountain”, but it is also known as “the Lost City of the Incas” since it remained hidden from the West until discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. It was built in the fifteenth century, and is attributed to the Inca Pachacutec. The archeological complex is divided into two zones that are contained within approximately twenty hectares. On the sides of the mountain, you can see up to four meters high (13 feet) agricultural terraces. Several plazas and buildings, the most important being the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana or solar clock and calendar, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Main Temple and the Condor Sector, make up the urban sector. There is also an impressive monolith of carved stone, three meters high (10 feet) and seven meters wide (23 feet) at the base, named the Sacred Stone. In order to build Machu Picchu, the Incas had to use blocks of stone brought from long distances. The finish of the walls features different quality levels and techniques. One of the highest quality walls is the central one of the MainTemple where the stones fit together perfectly. The Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary in not only a priceless archeological site, it is also associated with rich animal and plant life. In 1983, UNESCO placed it on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Lists.

© Candis Waugh Machu Picchu

AREQUIPA GENERAL INFORMATION

ALTITUDE Arequipa (2335  / 7333 ft) Lowest point: 9 m / 30 ft (Punta de Bombón) Highest point: 4910 m/ 16,109 ft (Mirador de los Volcanes, Volcano Lookout, – Caylloma)   CLIMATE  The city of Arequipa has a semi-arid and temperate climate with a maximum temperature of 21.7ºC (71ºF) and a minimum of 6.9ºC (44.4ºF). The rainy season starts in January and ends in March The department of Arequipa is one of various terrains. It begins in the coastal desert and then climbs the Andes, reaching great altitude at the snow covered peaks and at its volcanoes.

© Candis Waugh Santa Catalina Monastery

Arequipa, known as the White City for its beautiful white walls of sillar, a volcanic stone, lies at the feet of the mighty volcanos of Mount Chachani, Mount Misti, and the snow covered peak of Mount Pichu Pichu. The downtown of the city, placed on the World Cultural Heritage list by UNESCO, features Mixed Baroque churches and mansions from the Colonial Period like the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a Spanish city in miniature with stone streets, beautiful patios, and plazas. Sabandía, Tiabaya, and Tingo, located among the large fields, are must see places, and the irresistible Arequipa cuisine is the perfect complement to the visit.

Just 3 hours and 45 minutes from the capital is the Colca River valley and canyon, one of the most extraordinary destinations in the country. Throughout the region, you can see colorful pre-Incan agricultural terraces still used today for growing quinoa, corn, barley, and wheat. During the pre-Hispanic era, the department was inhabited by the Collaguas and the Cabanas; today, the inhabitants have learned to conserve their Colonial churches in Yanque, Lari, and Madrigal, and they continue to wear their traditional clothing.
You can also do many types of adventure sports in the valley such as mountain biking, trekking, and white water rafting. And, at the Cross of the Condor, you can view the majestic flight of the condors. Other places of interest in the department are the Toro Muerto petroglyphs, the Andagua Valley of the Volcanoes, and the Cotahuasi Canyon
 
MAIN ATTRACTIONS
 
Main Square, city of Arequipa
Bordered by various arched walkways and the Cathedral, the Main Square possesses a beautiful bronze fountain of three plates crowned by the figure of a sixteenth century soldier. Of this person, who is called “Tuturutu”, the story says he was in charge of warning of any new event. Around the square, you see three granite portals with brick and lime bases: Portal del Cabildo (Portal de la Municipalidad), Portal de las Delicias (Portal de San Agustín), and Portal del Regocijo (Portal de Flores).

Cathedral, city of Arequipa
Main Square.

It is considered one of the first seventeenth century religious monuments of the city. It is built of sillar (white volcanic stone) with a brick base. Destroyed by fire in 1844, it was rebuilt in 1868 by the Arequipa architect Lucas Poblete. He used a Neoclassical style and placed the entrances of church on the flanking naves. In 2001, the building was struck hard by an earthquake, which seriously damaged its towers.

Iglesia de La Compañía and complex (The Church of the Company of Jesus Christ)
Intersection of Calle General Morán and Calle Álvarez Thomas, Main Square.

This complex, made up of buildings constructed by the Jesuits for religious and living purposes, is a representative monument of the seventeenth century religious architecture (1660). The church itself rises from the center of the buildings. It was designed in 1573 by Gaspar Baez and destroyed by an earthquake in 1584. The current structure dates from 1650. Inside you find sixty-six canvases from the CuscoSchool from such artists as Bernardo Bitti and Diego de la Puente.

Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Saint Kathleen Monastery)
Calle Santa Catalina 301.

Constructed to shelter the daughters of the wealthiest families of the city with a religious vocation, the monastery was inaugurated on October 2, 1580, under the name of Santa Catalina of Siena to be a totaly cloistered religious center, and it remained that way until August 15, 1970.
It occupies an approximate area of 20.000 m2 (215.285 feet2), and its placement is similar to the first neighborhoods of Arequipa. The building exhibits rooms of very different architectural design. One of the areas has established as a gallery to display the canvasses of the Cusco, Quito, and ArequipaSchools. There are other rooms, or sectors, to visit as well, like el Claustro de la Portería (the Gate Cloister), el Museo Precolombino (the pre-Colombian Museum), el Claustro de San Francisco (the Cloister of Saint Francis), etc.