The Coricancha was the most important religious temple of the Inca Empire. It is located in Cusco, the geographic and political center of the Empire. The word Coricancha can be broken down into two separate words: Qori (gold) and cancha (walled temple). The temple of Coricancha was where the Incas paid homage to “Inti”, their supreme God.

Located only 2 Kms. away from the city of Cusco, these Incan archeological ruins were touted by Garcilaso de la Vega (a Peruvian chronicler) as “the best architectonic construction the Incas realized during their apogee”.

Its construction began in the 15 th century with Inca Pachacutec and was finished in the 16 th century under the reign of Huayna Capac. In 1536, Manco Inca, the leader of the resistance of Vilcabamba, battled the Spaniards at this location. Due to the destruction caused by the Spanish conquistadores during that battle, one can only see about 20% of the original architectural complex.

Q’enqo is located 4 kilometers northeast of the city of Cusco. The word Q’enqo means ‘labyrinth’ or ‘zigzag’.

This archeological site strictly served a religious function. On the outside, one can observe a semicircular amphitheater with trapezoidal niches and a monolith in the shape of a puma that measures approximately 6 meters long.

In Puca Pucara you will find interior courtyards, baths, aqueducts and an ancient, well-known trail. Unlike other archeological ruins, the buildings were made of small and medium size stones with rough surfaces. The urban layout of this site is adequate and functional for its use as a control and administration post.

Tambomachay in Spanish, or Tampumachay in Quechua means ‘place to rest’. This archeological site was a place to worship water and a place where the Inca, ruler of the Inca Empire, could rest. It is located 7 kilometers northeast of Cusco, on the Andes Mountains, at 3,700 meters above sea level (12,000 ft). This site consists of a series of aqueducts and channels and several waterfalls built within the stone walls. The Incas designed a main waterfall with 2 secondary falls that are exactly alike. It is said that if one were to place 2 empty bottles under the secondary falls, at the same time, they would fill up in exactly the same amount of time.