About Cusco

Description

The Cusco department is located in the southeastern part of the country, and expands into the jungle and highland areas. It borders with the departments of Arequipa, Puno, Apurimac, Ayacucho, Junín, Ucayali, and Madre de Dios.

It has an area of 76,329 square kilometres, and its capital city is Cusco (3,360 masl). It is well known as the archaeological capital of South America and the “navel of the Inca world”

Distances

• From Lima 1,165 km. ( 724 miles ) through Nazca
• From Arequipa 625 km. ( 388 miles )
• From Puno 389 km. ( 241 miles )

Access Ways

By Road: Several roads lead to Cusco from important cities in the country. From Lima, the most recommended route is the South Pan American Highway to Arequipa and then on to Cusco (1,659 km or 28 hours approx.). The other route is through the highlands by Nazca and Abancay.

By Train: There is a daily train service from Arequipa to Juliaca (Puno) which takes approx. 20 hours. From Puno to Cusco, the trip is approx. 10 hours. The highest point of this trip is la Raya at 4,313 masl and is located between Cusco and Juliaca

By Air: There are daily flights to the city of Cusco from Lima and other cities of Peru (Arequipa and Puno). Velasco Astete Airport is 3 kms from the main square. Taxis and buses are available for transport.

Population

The great majority of the inhabitants are of Andean origin. The spoken languages are Q´echua and Castellano in the urban areas.

Weather

In general terms, the weather is nice: Cold and dry. The average temperature throughout the year is 11°C in Cusco, while in the jungle it can be over 25°C. The rainy season lasts from November to March. During the rainy season there are light showers at the beginning of the season but grow more intense during the months of January through March.

This time is perfect to practices River Rafting Becouse yuo can find high rapids. The dry season lasts from April to October. It is recommended to take warm clothes and rain gear during the rainy season.This Time is Excenlent to do Trekking to visit Amazing diferent places in all Cusco.