Machu Picchu is very popular and perhaps the main reason that many visitors come to Cuzco, however, it is not the only thing to see, there are many other interesting things to see in the Cuzco area. Some of them are:
Tipon
Tipon – 23km (14 miles) SE of Cusco
23km (14 miles) SE of Cusco
The ruins here are visited much less than the ones in Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero. For fans of Inca stonemasonry and building technique, Tipón’s well-preserved agricultural terracing is among the best created by the Incas and makes for a rewarding, if not easily accessible, visit. It is usually not very crowded, as other ruins often are.
Pikillacta & Rumicolca
Pikillacta & Rumicolca
38km (24 miles) SE of Cusco
These pre-Inca and Inca ruins might go unnoticed by most, were it not for their inclusion on the Cusco tourist ticket. Although the Cusco region is synonymous with the Incas, the Huari and other cultures preceded them. Pikillacta is the only pre-Inca site of importance near Cusco.
Paucartambo
Paucartambo
110km (68 miles) NE of Cusco
Not many people visit this place, but many who do come for the Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen, one of Peru’s most outrageously celebrated festivals (it lasts several days, and most attendees, camp out because there is nowhere else to stay). The peaceful colonial town, once a mining colony, has cobblestone streets and a lovely Plaza de Armas with white structures and blue balconies, but not a whole lot else — that is, until it is inundated by revelers donning wildly elaborate and frequently frightening masks, and drinking as if Paucartambo were the last surviving town on the planet.
There are numerous other places to see that are not often visited, contact us for more information.
