Cusco: the Navel of the World at 3,400 Meters

Cusco sits at 3,400 meters in the Andean Cusco Valley, once the capital of the Inca Empire. Sacsayhuamán, the ceremonial Inca fortress complex on the hill directly north above the city at 3,555 meters, gives the canonical view: facing south over the Plaza de Armas and the red-tiled rooftops of the colonial city with the surrounding Andean peaks. Sunrise comes from the northeast to east; the Andean peaks encircling the valley (Ausangate at 6,384 m to the southeast is visible from the plain on clear days) glow before the city receives any direct light. The historic Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun) faces northeast and catches the first light. At -13.5°S, golden hour lasts only 22 minutes. The dry season (May through October) gives the clearest skies; the rainy season (November through April) brings afternoon clouds but sometimes spectacular clearing light after storms.