8 Fun things to do in Cusco (that aren’t Inca Ruins)

8 Fun things to do in Cusco (that aren’t Inca Ruins)

 

Cusco is full of Inca ruins – but there is so much more! And if you live in Cusco for a while to learn Spanish in Peru or for your volunteer work in Cusco, you definitely want more. Continue reading this blog to learn about 8 Fun Things to Do in Cusco while learning Spanish. Do you know more? Please post at the end of this blog.

 

8 Fun things to do in Cusco (that aren’t Inca Ruins)

 

1. Take a walk in the typical neighborhood of San Blas.

There are many interesting shops, galleries, restaurants, and cafes in the lovely neighborhood of San Blas. It is nice to go to Limbo Bar at Pasnapakana 133.   It is up another flight of stairs from Plazoleta San Blas, but it’s worth it for the views of the city. As the sun sets, you can relax with some snacks and a drink and enjoy the beautiful scenery over the city of Cusco.

 

 

2. Relax in the park next to the Ccoricancha

Ccoricancha, or the Temple of the Sun, is just a 10-minute walk down Avenida el Sol from the Plaza de Armas. Lots of local people take a break here during sunny days. It is a beautiful spot to catch some sun, chill out, and maybe have an ice cream.

 

 

3. Try some typical Peruvian (street) food

Peruvian cuisine is amazing and so is Peruvian Street food. Depending on the time of day, you can find: hot drinks stalls, Peruvian anticuchos (barbecue meat skewers), papa rellena (stuffed potato), rocoto relleno (stuffed chili), tamales, salchipapa (fries with sausage), and roasted banana. All amazingly good and tasty. And cheap!

Would you like to study Spanish in Cusco? Contact us or learn more here. Use this link to register

 

4. Explore some cool museums like the coca museum.

The mission of the coca museum is to promote the positive side of the coca leaf and its traditional uses. They also have an amazing variety of products made from the coca leaf. Also worth checking out are the Choco Museum, the Museum of Sacred, Magical and Medicinal Plants, and the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales. Another recommendation is the Inca Museum.

 

5. Take a chocolate-making class in the Choco Museum.

This is a two-hour workshop that starts with the cocoa bean and takes you through the entire process to make delicious chocolate. There is also a shop with loads of yummy chocolate products.

 

 

6. Walk to Cristo Blanco

To get there, walk from the Plaza de Armas to San Blas up the street Atocsaycuchi and just keep going up (be prepared, there are a lot of stairs). You will pass a sports court and eventually reach the main road again. Turn left and keep walking until you reach the statue.

 

7. Learn to dance salsa

There are plenty of opportunities to learn salsa in Cusco, in addition to the free salsa classes that AMAUTA offers. You can take private lessons, group classes, or even just take advantage of all the free classes offered by the various nightclubs. There are free classes in Mama Africa, Mythology, and Inca Team from 9 pm each night.

 

8. Take a trip to Tipón to eat cuy

The small village of Tipón is famous for its Inca ruins (though there are no Inca ruins in this blog), as well as for its cuy (guinea pig, a typical Peruvian dish). It is about a 45-minute bus ride from Cusco, and there are many restaurants to choose from; their signs read “cuy al horno,” meaning roast cuy. It will come whole, with a heaped plate of noodles, potatoes, a stuffed pepper, and blood sausage. You can ask for it to be chopped up to make it easier to eat.

 

 

9. Head to the second-hand fashion barrio

Just arrived in Cusco and found you are missing some essential warm clothes? Head here (Prolongacion Pera/ Baratillo Market), you can find pre-loved branded hiking clothes. Take a walk around this neighborhood, and you will find so many shops to choose from. You can negotiate the price. Plus, if you are American, this is a fun place to spot your old college jumpers. It seems that donated clothes in America end up here. The market is not always open, but around this area you will find loads of fashion shops. Note: be (very) careful with pickpocketing here and leave your valuables at home. All of them.

10. Take a trip to Real Plaza

Real Plaza – Cusco’s very own shopping mall- is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in Cusco. Full of places to shop and eat (though most are Western shops). Just upstairs, find a cinema showing the newest films in Spanish. So, you can practice your Spanish listening skills. They also have an arcade where you can win prizes.

How to get there?

The nearest bus stops to Real Plaza Cusco are Seminario, Magisterio and Avenida Collalsuyo.
Read more about shopping in Cusco

Would you like to study Spanish in Cusco? Contact us or learn more here. Use this link to register

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