With Machu Picchu becoming one of the most visited monuments in South America, chances are very high that you will end up spending a few days in Cusco while in Peru.
Cusco is also a famous city among backpackers and hikers wanting to take in the adventure of hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the Salkantay trek, Rainbow mountain or Humantay lake. They all are located 2-4 hours from Cusco….The capital of the Incan empire.
Of course there are plenty of other reasons why Cusco is a great destination and I wrote a previous article about Top 10 things to see while in Cusco.
Today, we will focus on a few things you need to keep in mind before your visit…Let’s get started
High altitude is no joke
I don’t know where you are visiting from, but for those of you living at sea level or a little bit higher or those of you who have no experience in high altitude…you need to take this seriously!!
Let’s do a quick refreshing course about what happens in higher altitudes: In simple words, the higher up we go, the thinner the air becomes, which means that your body cannot get as much oxygen, which causes headaches, nausea and maybe worse.
Now, this usually happens at altitudes higher than 8000 feet and guess what? Cusco is at an elevation of 11,152 feet, that’s 3399 meters…So yeah.. You gotta take this seriously! Why? Because you don’t want to have a crappy trip, cancel hiking or backpacking plans due to sickness or far worse end up at the hospital.
There is no way around this but these are things that you should do to minimize the impact of High altitude sickness
- Give yourself 48 hours to adjust to the elevation
- Drink a lot of water and keep yourself hydrated at all times
- Rest and sleep well
- DO NOT PLAN Anything the first day you arrive to Cusco and especially not a hike (Even walking up and down the plazas hills can become painful)
- Get yourself some coca leaves and coca candies (you can find both pretty much everywhere)
- Keep your meals light (Soups preferably)
- Avoid alcohol
Street dogs are everywhere
Gosh, I have a funny story to share with you guys but I will keep it for an upcoming post…Anyway, street dogs are everywhere around cusco.. all type of dogs.. they are not harmful but you gotta still watch out and keep your distance.
Uber works in Cusco
Surprisingly so, Uber ride share service works in Cusco. To be fair though, you won’t really need as everything is a walking distance from Plaza de Armas (The main square in the city)
Taxis are around every corner but if for any reason you find yourself needing an Uber ride, now you know 🙂
Stay away from tap water
If you are going to say “People have been drinking from it their whole life, surely I too can” …. yes true but your body’s reaction is not something you can predict. As much as things can go right, they can also go wrong, right? Better safe than sorry..
Cusco is safe
For the most part, Cusco is a safe place. I stayed close by the main plaza and I didn’t feel unsafe at any point. It is, However, always good to avoid empty streets, roaming around super late or super early in the day.
Taking photos is not always free
I am talking about the ladies in their colorful dresses with their lamas, alpacas and lambs top take photos with. They can get pretty aggressive if they catch you taking a photo…even when you ask for their permission, they expect you to tip them and if they don’t like the amount donated, they won’t hesitate to contest. I am not saying it is a good or a bad things…it is just not something that I expected. So, make sure you have some soles on you and be open minded.
Some business take cards and some don’t
I guess this is a no brainier but just a reminder to keep cash on you all the time and I’d say especially if you are travelling on a budget. A lot of markets and small markets won’t take your credit cards.
Cusco has a Cacao museum
I don’t know about you but I love me some good chocolate no matter where in the world. I was happy to hear that Cusco has a cacao museum facing Plaza Regocio.
That’s about it guys, enjoy your visit, stay safe and as always..let me know if you have any questions.