Peru: My Journey Through Cusco, Sacred Valleys, Ancient Fortresses, Festivals, Chili Peppers, and Altiplano Wonders
- The Agricoutourist
- Jun 20
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 1
I woke up early at my hotel in Cusco, sipping warm muña tea, which had been a faithful companion during my stay — easing both the altitude and my stomach. My guide, Julio Yahr, arrived to begin a packed and extraordinary day that would bring me face-to-face with Peru’s history, culture, food, and people in a way I’ll never forget.
But first, we had to navigate the chaos. Today was Corpus Christi, one of Cusco’s most important religious festivals. Crowds filled every plaza and street. Pilgrims in colorful costumes carried towering statues of saints through the city, accompanied by musicians, dancers, and chanting. People had traveled from villages far beyond Cusco. The entire town was alive with food stalls, markets, and celebration. Getting around the city wasn’t easy, but it made every turn of the street feel electric.
San Pedro Market: Crafts, Collagen, Coffee & Compliments
I started with a visit to the historic San Pedro Market, built in 1925 by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), which was celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. I’ve seen many markets on this trip, but this one felt different — not just a food market, but also a craft market filled with textiles, jewelry, musical instruments, wooden toys, and vibrant woven blankets.
Inside, I finally tasted the tiny, rare ají charapita — bright, floral, citrusy, and fiery — and I sampled some Meyer chili as well. Peru’s chili peppers were already becoming one of my personal obsessions. Alongside these fiery bites, I cooled my mouth with sweet chicha morada — the beloved purple corn drink flavored with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and lime.
At the bustling juice stalls, Julio explained one of my favorite little traditions: when young men in Cusco are feeling down, they come here. The women running the stalls will enthusiastically shout compliments at them while preparing papaya or mango smoothies, sending them off with not just a drink but a boost to their confidence.
Nearby, I saw a table selling natural collagen — beef marrow jelly — recommended to pregnant women to replenish calcium after childbirth. There were bags of pink salt from the Maras salt mines, which I had visited the year before. Stacks of jungle-grown coffee were displayed beside fragrant Sacred Valley flowers. I couldn’t resist buying as many noisy toys as possible for my grandchildren back home.
Outside, shoeshiners and street musicians were enjoying one of their best earning days of the year. The festival had drawn everyone to town, and people were eager to spend. Musicians filled the air with sounds of pan flutes and drums, blending seamlessly into the carnival atmosphere.
Finally, I sat down to enjoy what Julio promised was the best chicken soup in Cusco — and it may well have been. The market was a sensory feast — sight, sound, taste, smell — all woven together in a way only Peru seems capable of.
Sacsayhuamán: Fortress, Temple, and Tunnel Secrets
Leaving the market behind, we drove up to Sacsayhuamán (which Julio jokingly called "Sexy Woman" to help me remember its pronunciation). Towering above Cusco, the site’s megalithic stonework defies imagination. Built primarily under the reign of the great Inca king Pachacuti, it served both ceremonial and military purposes.
Massive stones — some weighing over 200 tons — fit together so precisely that no mortar was needed. I stood in awe where once there was an 18-foot tower covered in solid gold, looted by Spanish conquerors centuries ago. The site was buzzing with preparations for the upcoming Inti Raymi Festival, when Cusco reenacts ancient Sun God ceremonies during the winter solstice.
Archaeologists were busy uncovering a newly explored Inca tunnel leading from Sacsayhuamán down into Cusco, ending under the Cathedral (which itself sits atop the former Qorikancha temple). This secret passage once allowed Inca royalty to move unseen between sacred spaces.
Julio also shared that while Peru celebrates its rich indigenous history, about 8% of Peruvians still live in isolated Quechua-speaking mountain villages, some so remote that they are facing issues of inbreeding today — a concern now receiving government attention.
Horseback Riding to the Ancient Quarries
From Sacsayhuamán, one can enjoy a peaceful horseback ride through the surrounding hills and pastures. The trail takes visitors to the very quarries where the Incas originally carved the enormous stones used to build their fortresses. I'll try to do this another time.
A Sacred Detour: Q’enqo and the Mummification Caves
We visited Q’enqo, an ancient ceremonial site carved directly into the bedrock. At first glance, it appears almost unassuming—a massive rock with channels etched into its surface—but just beneath lies a deeply spiritual space.
Descending into the cool, narrow underground chamber, we stepped into what was once a mummification and ritual preparation area. A large stone altar sits at the center, with small carved niches surrounding it—believed to have held sacred offerings and the bodies of ancestors prepared for the afterlife.
The channels carved through the stone were used to guide ritual liquids—possibly chicha (fermented maize beer), animal blood, or sacred water—during ceremonies performed in honor of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the gods of the Incan cosmos.
Standing inside, surrounded by smooth rock walls, I could almost feel the presence of history. It was silent, sacred, and absolutely humbling to imagine the ceremonies that took place here centuries ago.
Millma: A Textile Store and Rescue Center: Llamas, Alpacas, and Vicuñas
Just outside Cusco—near the majestic Sacsayhuamán—we visited Millma & Qaytu, a beautifully immersive textile workshop and fiber-production center focused on the entire fiber-to-fabric process. The name combines "millma" (the Quechua word for alpaca) and "qaytu" (yarn), reflecting its mission.
This is also an animal rescue sanctuary — a place that cared for abandoned, injured, or illegally poached llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. These animals have roamed the Andes for nearly 4000 -6000 years, their fiber forming the foundation of Andean culture and trade for millennia.
The rare wild vicuña, whose wool remains the finest and most valuable in the world, is protected by strict conservation efforts. Each year, local communities form “chaccu” human chains — often with 50 to 100 people — to gently round up vicuñas, shear them safely, and release them back to the wild. Their motto: “One shorn, one saved.”
Inside the center, I admired stunning alpaca scarves, vicuña shawls, and intricate woven pieces showcasing centuries of Andean artistry. The natural dyes reflected the vibrant earth tones of the surrounding landscapes.
Potato Wine for the World’s Best Restaurant
Our day continued with a visit to a remarkable farmer who produces rare potato wine using indigenous highland potato varieties. His small-batch wine is served exclusively at Central Restaurant in Lima, named #1 in the world (2024) for its groundbreaking tasting menu that showcases Peru’s extreme ecosystems — from ocean floor to Amazon canopy to mountain peaks. His work is a beautiful example of how Peru’s ancient agricultural knowledge continues to influence global culinary innovation.
The Journey to Puno: Following the Amazon’s Origins
The next morning, I began the 10-hour drive from Cusco to Puno, following the earliest tributaries of the Amazon River as they begin high in the Andes.
I passed endless pastures, grazing animals, and small adobe villages, where women in bright layered skirts worked the fields, herding llamas, sheep, cows, and alpacas. Children played soccer barefoot on dusty fields while merchants sold textiles, vegetables, and handmade goods along the roadsides.
In the distance, I saw active mining operations alongside families washing clothes in crystal-clear rivers — daily life continuing much as it has for centuries, now mingled with modern industry since Peru’s 1990s recovery from terrorism and economic instability.
The Sistine Chapel of the Americas: Andahuaylillas
Our next stop was the small church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, often called the Sistine Chapel of the Americas. Its simple adobe exterior gives no hint of the masterpiece inside — vibrant baroque frescoes, a gilded altar, and walls bursting with Cusco School paintings where Catholic saints stand beside angels dressed in Inca textiles.
Built in the early 1600s, this church tells the story of Peru’s colonial fusion of Catholicism and native Andean beliefs, expressed in breathtaking art. Every inch is richly detailed — a true gem tucked into the Sacred Valley.
Raqchi: Temple of Wiracocha (and My Little Smuggling Moment)
My first major archaeological stop was Raqchi, home of the enormous Temple of Wiracocha, dedicated to the supreme creator god of the Inca. This complex once spanned over 300 feet, flanked by more than 200 circular colcas (storehouses) that preserved food and supplies for the empire.
As the Incas were saving their precious seeds here, I couldn’t help but reflect that I was doing some seed-saving of my own! Quietly slipping a few seeds into my travel pouch, it felt delightfully sneaky — “I’m enjoying being a smuggler,” I laughed to myself. “It feels so wrong… and yet so right.”
The site also included ceramics workshops, stone terraces, and housing for Inca nobility. Raqchi was an important resting point along the Qhapaq Ñan (Inca Road Network) — an engineering marvel stretching over 25,000 miles across the Andes.
Even today, solstice festivals are celebrated here, aligning agriculture and astronomy in traditions that continue to honor the Inca calendar.
Pukara Lithic Museum: The Deep Roots of the Andes
Further along the drive, before reaching Puno, we stopped at the Pukara Lithic Museum — a powerful window into Peru’s even deeper past. The Pukara culture, which flourished long before the Inca, contributed greatly to the sophisticated agricultural and religious systems later inherited by the empire.
The museum displayed beautifully preserved mummies, ancient ceramics, farming tools, polished stone carvings, and surviving textiles. My favorite exhibits were the dioramas — life-like models of ancient villages, depicting how these early Andean people dressed, farmed, raised their children, worshipped, and interacted with their land.
Trout Fishing in the Andes
As we neared Puno, I watched local fishermen casting into the icy clear rivers flowing toward Lake Titicaca. These rivers, fed by glacial snowmelt, are home to thriving populations of rainbow trout — introduced in the early 20th century and now a beloved staple of Andean cuisine.
The 1870 Chapel
Before arriving in Puno, I made a quiet visit to a small chapel built in 1870. Still active today, cared for by local villagers, it remains a peaceful symbol of faith and community resilience.
Lake Titicaca: Birthplace of the Inca and my last stop in Peru
Finally, I arrived in Puno, where my hotel perched along the shores of Lake Titicaca — the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,507 feet (3,812 meters). I left my brother's book, Alabama Moon, for guests to enjoy. I always enjoy dropping his books of at the best watering holes on the planet and this was certainly one!
According to Inca legend, the first rulers — Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo — emerged from Lake Titicaca’s waters, sent by Viracocha to establish Cusco and begin the Inca Empire.
The lake remains deeply spiritual. The floating Uros Islands, built from layers of reeds, still house communities preserving traditions passed down for countless generations. As I stood watching the glassy water reflect the peaks above, I felt I had arrived at the sacred source of Peru’s soul.
Peru’s Chili Peppers: Humanity’s Spicy Companion
Throughout my journey, one recurring theme appeared everywhere: chili peppers. Peru is a global cradle of chili cultivation, dating back more than 6,000 years:
Ají panca — mild, smoky, perfect for stews and sauces. 
Ají limo – slender and vibrant, delivers colorful, fiery accents—especially in ceviche 
Rocoto — deceptively sweet-looking, dangerously hot inside, often stuffed in rocoto relleno. 
Ají charapita — tiny, wild, exploding with intense citrusy heat. For the Inca, chili peppers were not just food — they were medicine, currency, trade, and sacred offerings. Today, chefs like Virgilio Martínez at Central are bringing these ancient flavors into global culinary conversations. Some of these seeds may be found growing in my gardens soon!
Peru: A Living Tapestry of Past and Present
My days through Cusco, Sacred Valleys, high Andean passes, ancient fortresses, vibrant markets, floating islands, and sacred lakes were not just about sightseeing. They were a deeply living tapestry of ancient civilizations, living traditions, breathtaking nature, and flavors that have traveled through millennia to reach my plate.
Peru is not a place one simply visits — it’s a place one absorbs. A place where past and present dance together with breathtaking grace. I feel deeply privileged to have lived these unforgettable days in its embrace.
Morning in Puno: A Living Contrast
The next morning, I sat by my hotel window overlooking the lake—an image of perfect contrast. Below me, women in traditional dress led herds of llamas and sheep down to the marshes, while men were largely absent. One man eventually emerged, stick in hand, halfheartedly poking at the ground while the women tended the animals.
Just in front of my hotel, the elegant Belmond Andean Explorer passed by—a luxury train linking Cusco, Puno, and Arequipa, gliding through one of the world’s highest rail routes with panoramic windows, observation cars, and white-tablecloth dining. It was a surreal image—ancient herding traditions unfolding beneath a luxury train gliding by.
Later, I walked my hotel’s private pier, spending an hour birdwatching along Lake Titicaca’s rich wetlands:
Titicaca grebe (flightless)
Andean goose
Puna ibis
Slate-colored coot
Yellow-billed teal
Cinnamon teal
White-tufted grebe
Andean gull
Black-crowned night heron
Great egret
Black-faced ibis
The water shimmered under a pale blue sky, the birds calling softly, the fishing boats quietly sliding through the reeds. It was a final, peaceful morning in this incredible land—a perfect end to my journey.
Next Stop - Bolivia!
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