Cusco city, Pisac & Salineras

Introduction

I spent about two and a half weeks in Cusco, attempting 2 multi-day treks as well as making day trips to the town of Pisac and the Salineras Salt Mine. This was my final trip on my student exchange programme and served as a fitting ending to my time in South America.

Cusco

Cusco is rightfully the capital of tourism in Peru. The gateway city to attractions such as Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, it hosts thousands of tourists each day. Central Cusco retains its rich Spanish architecture and is an absolute joy to explore. Cathedrals and little alley ways are plenty here, which gave me new sights each day. In comparison with Arequipa, I would say that Cusco has a less glamorous feel to it. Cusco is also much more touristy, with peddlers constantly coming up to me with their merchandise or trip offers. Also, this was the highest concentration of Asian tourists I encountered in my 6 months in South America!

Tip: get away from the center (plaza de arms & san francisco) to find much more affordable food. Like other Peruvian restaurants, eateries here often have a menu of the day which includes soup, main, desert and drink. Those on the outskirts of the center often only cost between 10 to 15 soles, which is an absolute bargain compared to restaurants in the center.

Salineras Salt Mines

Together with a friend, we visited the Salineras Salt Mines for half a day. Typically, people visit Salineras and the Maras archeological site together due to their proximity. However, archeological sites around Cusco charge a package 70 soles entrance fee, which covers entry into all sites. Given the lack of time, I would not be able to visit other archeological sites, as such I decided to give Maras a miss. Additionally, most travel agencies do not offer Salineras alone, and thus charge high transportation fees. As such, we took public transport (a collectivo) out to a junction before Urubamba town, before catching a taxi to the salt mines.

About 40 minutes is sufficient for one to stroll through the salt mines and take photos. In general, I am always fascinated by how much work goes into creating simple raw materials such as salt. The mines can get pretty crowded as it is part of the Maras day trip often offered by travel agencies. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant view to be enjoyed on an off-day from trekking.

Pisac

I travelled to Pisac together with two other friends in order to visit the Sunday handicraft market. To describe the market, I would say it is like the small market stores of Cusco but on steroids. It was a never ending walk through little stands of vendors who essentially sold the same merchandise as each other. Fortunately, this also allowed me to get some good purchases. Moreover, we managed to get lunch at a little market stall for 5 soles per person (YESSSS!), and it was absolutely delicious (feeling local here!).

To get to Pisac, we caught a collectivo from Cusco and were basically squeezed into a van for 45 minutes or so. The collectivo dropped us at the edge of town, where we made our way across a bridge and into town.

Conclusion

Cusco and its surrounding sites provide plenty for the day trip tourist to see and do. Next up, I will be blogging about my treks to Ausangate (+ rainbow mountain) and Salkantay (+ Machu Picchu).