By Renato Romero

The region of Cusco is the fourth largest region of Peru and the most visited one after Lima. This interesting region has thirteen regions, and the point of arrival for travelers is usually the province of where the airport and the most important bus stations are located. From this province travelers decide where to go next based on their preferences and activities they love the most.

Cusco is one of my favorites regions in Peru and I truly enjoy each visit to this magical region. Every time I plan a visit to Cusco, I spend a couple of months deciding what my next adventure will be and also taking care of all the details since I know I won’t have time to do that while I am in Cusco. My excursions to Cusco usually start in downtown Cusco with easy going activities to help me adjust to its high altitude since I know my body will need a couple of days to avoid the nasty symptoms of the altitude sickness. In my visits I includes to Cusco I always include the outdoor  activities I love the most such as hiking, camping, biking, atv adventures on wheels, or a flying in a zip-line.

In the following lines I will provide a few ideas to help travelers choose the best outdoor adventures in the region of Cusco.

Where are the best hikes in Cusco:

Cusco offers unique and breathtaking landscapes in all of its thirteen provinces; therefore, it is very hard to put together a list of it best hikes. I prefer to list all the hikes I have been able to enjoy in Cusco based on the time I spent to complete each excursion:

One day hikes:

• Huchy Qosqo from Lamay Town
• Huchuy Qosqo from Tambomachay
• Machu Picchu Mountain
• Huayna Picchu Mountain
• Putucusi Mountain
• Vinicunca (aka Rainbow Mountain)
• Waqrapukara
• Short Inca Trail
• Santa Teresa Hydroelectric to Aguas Calientes town (aka Machu Picchu town)
• Palcoyo Mountain
• Humantay Lake

Two day hikes:

• Tambomachay to Lake Piuray

Three day hikes:

• Lares Trek
• Salkantay trek

Four day hikes:

• Salkantay  to Machu Picchu (this version of the Salkantay trek includes a visit to Llactapata from where there is a great view of Machu Picchu from far)
• Choquequirao trek
• Classic Inca Trail

Enjoy camping in Cusco:

Camping in Cusco is usually tied to hiking, but there are several tour operators that offer camping experiences that are not necessarily tied to hiking. Some of the best experiences can be found in the province of La Convencion and an example of this is Cola de Mono in Santa Teresa (Machu Picchu backdoor) offers all the camping setup necessary to spend a night outdoors in a beautiful location. Travelers here will arrive by car, eat at their delicious restaurant, relax at their hot tub, sleep in a high-end tent, and be able to take the train to Machu Picchu town to visit the enigmatic ruins of Machu Picchu.

Where to look for mountain biking in Cusco:

Cusco offers several options to practice mountain biking, but the Sacred Valley in the Urubamba province offers the best trails to enjoy this exciting activity. Peruvian Mountain Rides offers a beautiful lodge in the town of Lamay, at the hearth of the Sacred Valley. They offer the best equipment and bikes as well as great itineraries for all riders.

Best Cusco Provinces to enjoy an ATV adventures on wheels:

ATV adventure tours are mainly available in the provinces of Cusco and Urubamba with the salt flats of Maras as the main attraction. The most popular tours start in downtown Cusco or the town of Maras from where travelers ride ATVs to the tourist attractions included by the tour operators offering this service.

Best provinces to practice whitewater rafting in Cusco:

Whitewater rafting is among the most popular activities in Cusco and the most popular spots for travelers can be found in the provinces of Urubamba and Quispicanchis. The most popular tour operators have offices in downtown Cusco from where all tours start. Inexperienced travelers should always book this tour during the dry season (May to September) since the Urubamba/Vilcanota river becomes very dangerous during the rainy season.

Where to go to fly in a zip-line:

Zip-line can be safely enjoyed with only a few tour providers in Cusco, and they can be found at the provinces of Urubamba and La Convencion. I prefer the second one where the best designed lines can be enjoyed at Cola de Mono or Vertikal. Zip-line can be combined with a coffee plantation visit, camping a 4 hour hike to Machu Picchu and the visit to the most popular attraction in Peru in a two day or three day tour.