Cuzco: Base Camp for Adventure!
Taking a break during set-up for the Christmas market in the main square in Cuzco
If you ever wanted to escape to a quiet land steeped in history, touched by a beautiful sacred light, and offering a mix of historic Inca Ruins and Spanish colonial architecture, then I suggest you make your base camp in Cuzco, Peru.
Located high in the Andes Mountains in southeastern Peru, you will have to acclimatize to an elevation roughly 11,150 feet above sea level, but the experience is well worth a moment or two of feeling light-headed. Begin by exploring the interesting shops, historic cathedrals and enticing restaurants lining the main square of this former Inca capital.
Cuzco is a delightful place to visit in December. Plan to do some holiday shopping at Cuzco’s colorful Christmas market on Christmas Eve, then enjoy traditional indigenous dances performed in front of the main cathedral on Christmas Day.
We spent a week exploring Cuzco and the Sacred Valley. The luxurious Explora Lodge is the perfect place to stay while you explore the Sacred Valley. Their expert guides will arrange visits to Inca ruins and contemporary indigenous settlements, hikes through this lush agricultural valley, and a day trip to the seventh wonder of the world: Machu Picchu, a well-preserved, fifteenth century Inca settlement located in a breathtaking mountain location.
The following photographs are just a sample of what you might expect to see:
