A day in Cusco

Cusco, Peru

Dawn - Andean gateway hills

The dawn air is thin and cold against my face on this high path. I follow the track above the city toward the open hills. From April to October the dry winter brings clear skies that make walking here reliable.

Morning - Inca stone foundations

Pale morning light sits cool on the fitted stones under my feet. I trace the old walls where the colonial buildings rise above them. These streets keep the magnificent Inca foundations beneath the colonial city, which is why people come.

Morning - Museo Histórico Regional

Soft light falls across the two-storey court of this colonial house. I cross the residence and pause at the paintings and archaeological displays. The museum occupies the former home of a prominent colonial historian and chronicles pre-Hispanic civilisations and the colonial era.

Midday - Qoricancha temple remains

Sunlight lies warm on the open stone of the temple walls. I stay beside the remains and look over the open stone. This was the principal Inca temple of the sun, and the site museum nearby holds ceramics, textiles, and architectural fragments.

Afternoon - Machu Picchu Museum

Still, dry air fills the galleries of metalwork and pottery. I move slowly past the displays recovered from the sanctuary. This museum holds an extensive collection of artefacts from Machu Picchu and explains daily life here at the famous sanctuary.

Afternoon - Plaza Regocijo

The plaza is bright and the palace front feels cool in the shade. I cross toward the municipal palace and its art gallery. Inside the Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo shows contemporary visual arts by regional and national Peruvian artists.

Golden Hour - Andean region hills

A clear blue winter sky spreads over the open hills around me. I take the path across the Andean slopes in the late light. April to October is the dry season for walking, though nights turn bitterly cold, especially in July.

Golden Hour - Traditional textile centre

The wool and dye smell sharp in this gallery of traditional weaving. I wear a pollera and a woven woollen manta among the displays. Indigenous Quechua communities across the Andean region preserve these techniques, natural dyes, and historical patterns here.

Night - El Fogon eatery

Steam from the soup warms my face in the busy dining room. I eat a traditional soup from the set meal at El Fogon. The local eatery serves hearty set meals with generous main dishes and a fresh salad bar.

Night - Colonial Cusco streets

Cold bites through the clear night air and into my bare hands. I follow the colonial streets through the quiet city centre. Nights in the dry winter turn bitterly cold, especially in July, so a hoodie helps in the town.