Things to do in Cuzco & The Sacred Valley
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Reserv Cusco Ltda
Offers cheap Sacred Valley mountain-biking trips and Inka Jungle Trail tours, which start with mountain biking downhill from the Abra de Malaga, then trekking to Aguas Calientes to reach Machu Picchu.
reviewed
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Amigos
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
A long-established non-profit school with an admirable public-service record.
reviewed
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Samana Spa
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
For some pampering or a post-trekking splurge, a blossoming number of spas offer massage services, one of them being the luxurious Samana Spa. Beware of cheap massages touted in the street; there are reports of massages getting much more, er, intimate than expected.
reviewed
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Jack’s Café
The only food outlet in the world that you may consider worth standing in line for, and you will clearly not alone in your appreciation – the ever-present crowd of hungry travelers waiting outside Western-style, Australian-run Jack’s tells you how popular it is. One breakfast here and you’re hooked. You have been warned.
reviewed
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7 Angelitos
This tiny hillside haunt is the city’s unofficial hipster lounge and late-night backup: when everything else has closed and the sun has come up, knock on the door. Happy hours are 7:30pm to 9:30pm and 11pm to 11:30pm.
reviewed
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Wayna Picchu
The most famous of several short walks around Machu Picchu, the climb up the steep mountain of Wayna (also spelled Huayna) Picchu is located at the back of the ruins. At first glance, it appears a difficult climb but, despite the steep ascent, it's not technically that hard. The scramble, which takes anything from 45 to 90 minutes, takes you through a short section of Inca tunnel.
The fabulous views from the top are definitely worth the huffing and puffing, even for trekkers just stumbling in off the Inca Trail. Take care in wet weather as the steps get dangerously slippery. Beyond the central plaza between two open-fronted buildings is a registration booth, where you hav…
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Fallen Angel
This ultra-funky restaurant and lounge is falling all over itself in the rush to cram in as much kitsch as possible, with glitter balls, fake fur and even bathtub-cum-aquarium tables complete with live goldfish. Deservedly popular for many years, Fallen Angel has now become expensive beyond the means of many travelers, but the decor really is worth seeing and the occasional theme parties held here are legendary. The same folks also own jungle-themed restaurant Macondo ( [tel] 22-9415), at Cuesta San Blas 571.
reviewed
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Granja Heidi
Follow the pictures of cows upstairs to this light Alpine cafe with terrific fresh produce, yogurts, cakes and other snacks on offer. The hot breakfasts are gigantic, and can satisfy any carnivorous cravings you may have.
reviewed
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Amauta Spanish School
Big, professional and popular. Also offers Spanish programs in the Sacred Valley and the Amazon jungle.
reviewed
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Los Toldos
Local favorite with perhaps Cuzco’s best salad bar (try the purpley black olive sauce) and an extensive menu of high-class fast food. Most people can’t go past the Peruvian classic cuarto de pollo (quarter of a chicken cooked on a spit), done here to perfection.
reviewed
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Green’s Organic
With all-organic food and a bright farmhouse feel, Green’s Organic oozes health. The salads and wraps are fabulously tasty, telling their own story of pesticide-free, free-range ingredients. The atmosphere is calm and uncluttered, with attentive professional staff. The same consortium owns several of Cuzco’s top-end restaurants – Limo, Incanto, MAP Café, Inca Grill and Pacha Papa – all of which have big reputations and receive many recommendations.
reviewed
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Cicciolina
Inhabiting a lofty colonial courtyard mansion, Cicciolina has long held its position as Cuzco’s best restaurant. The eclectic, sophisticated food is divine, all the way from home-marinated olives through squid-ink pasta to melt-in-the-mouth desserts and biscotti. The service is impeccable, and the ambience will make any laid-back globetrotter feel at home. A huge expat favorite; highly recommended.
reviewed
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Trotamundos
This coffeehouse has a dead-on view of the cathedral and sells a bit of everything, with especially good coffees and baked goods. It's also a popular late-night bar-cum-café.
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Maikhana
A friendly, comfy place to enjoy excellent, good-value renditions of all the Indian classics, including a long list of vegetarian dishes.
reviewed
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Cusco Planetarium
Cusco Planetarium is a nifty way to learn more about the Inca worldview. It was the only culture in the world to define constellations of darkness as well as light, and studied astronomy seriously: some of Cuzco’s main streets are designed to align with the stars at certain times of year. Recommended before you go on a trek – you’ll feel clever pointing out the Black Llama to your fellow hikers. Reservations essential; price varies with group size, and includes pickup and drop-off.
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Intipunku
The Inca Trail ends after its final descent from the notch in the horizon called Intipunku (Sun Gate). Looking at the hill behind you as you enter the ruins, you can see both the trail and Intipunku. This hill, called Machu Picchu, or 'old peak', gives the site its name.
It takes about an hour to reach Intipunku and, if you can spare at least a half-day for the round-trip, it may be possible to continue as far as Wiñay Wayna.
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Aldea Yanapay
With stuffed animals, board games and decor that perfectly evokes the circus you dreamed of running away with as a child, Aldea Yanapay is pitched at families but will appeal to anyone with a taste for the quixotic. Food includes burritos, falafel and tasty little fried things to pick at, and there’s a whole separate menu for vegetarians. Profits go to projects helping abandoned children. Highly recommended.
reviewed
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Pachapapa
With rustic wooden tables and a crackling fire pit just off the Plaza San Blas, this airy outdoor restaurant has a menu full of classic Peruvian dishes with African, European and Asian accents, from cuzqueño lamb soup to roast trout with wild fennel, plus oven-fired pizzas and fruit-flavored piscococktails. There's live Andean harp music on most evenings.
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Birding in Peru
Englishman Barry Walker, owner of the Cross Keys Pub, is a self-confessed 'birding bum' and the best resident ornithologist to give serious birders plenty of enthusiastic advice. He has also written a field guide, The Birds of Machu Picchu, and runs a tour agency, Birding in Peru, for bird-watching trips all around Peru, as well as into Bolivia and Chile.
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Lima To Cuzco
17 days (ex Lima)
by Intrepid
Spot penguins and boobies on the Ballestas Islands, Puzzle over the mysterious Nazca Lines, Visit the funerary towers at the Chauchilla Cemetery, Spot Andean co…Not LP reviewed
from USD$1,080 Advertisement
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Juanito’s
Good sandwiches were hard to find in Cuzco until Juanito’s came along. All the traditional favorites are here, plus some fusion treats such as lechón (suckling pig) and lomo saltado (strips of beef stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and chili). The inner room could be San Blas’ most inviting lounge hangout.
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Inka Panaka
Along an alleyway west of the plaza, this ambitious and artistic restaurant has just a half dozen candlelit tables at which you can fork into novoandina (Peruvian nouvelle cuisine) fare, including delicious breakfasts, steaks and desserts. There's a chill-out soundtrack and artisan crafts for sale.
reviewed
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Muse
- Cuzco, Peru
- Restaurants › Café
The coolest cafe-bar-restaurant in town, the Muse offers consistently delicious food with lots of vegetarian options, live music every night, an excellent hangover breakfast, very cool staff, great coffee, a good wine list and a rotating display of art – in short, a hard place to leave at any time of day.
reviewed
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Amazonas Explorer
This professional international operator with top-quality equipment and guides offers rafting trips on the Ríos Apurímac and Tambopata. Private trips on even more remote rivers, such as Río Cotahuasi near Arequipa, can also be arranged. Also offers excellent two- to 10-day mountain-biking adventures.
reviewed
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Marcelo Batata
As if the stunning view from the rooftop terrace, Cuzco’s longest coffee list and a daring array of cocktails weren’t enough, Marcelo Batata’s food is dangerously delicious. Try pasta with ají de gallina (spicy chicken and walnut stew) sauce for an exquisite fusion moment.
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