My Top 12 Cities in the World:#12 Cusco, Peru

Over the last 8 years I have had the privilege to travel to over 80 cities, 30 countries, and 5 continents. I have made new friends, ate incredible foods, had some crazy nights out, navigated sketchy situations, and much much more ! With this in mind, I decided it would be a good idea to really sit down and put my thoughts to paper deciding what cities stand tall beyond the rest. First up, number 12: Cusco - Peru

THE GRADING CRITERIA

-Category 1, "Food" 10 PTS

-Category 2, "Safety" 10 PTS

-Category 3, "Activities / Things to do" 10 PTS

-Category 4, "Cost" 10 PTS

-Category 5, "Energy / Excitement / Good Vibes" 10 PTSd

-Category 6, "My experience (I.e. How much fun did I have)" 50 PTS Subjective ? Yes ! However, I am not ranking these cities by how comfortable I think they are or what would be the best city to live in. Rather, the main factor really just is: Did I have fun and make some life-long memories while here ?

N0. 12 CUSCO - PERU // Total Score: 82 out of 100

City skyline of Cusco, taken from the wild rover hostel balcony.

-Food: 10 / 10:

Full disclaimer this was going to just be "my top 10* favorite cities*, however there were two cities I felt I just could not leave off... Cusco being one of them. The overwhelming reason for Cusco's inclusion on this list being thanks to its otherworldly food scene. Wandering the streets of Cusco you have everything from a litany of street food options prepared by a stall of hard working abuelas, to word-class Michelin rated fine dining. I had the pleasure of trying offerings on both ends of the spectrum and everything in between. The food here is unique, fresh, and most importantly immensely flavorful. From dishes such as lomo saltado, barbecue ribs, steaks cooked using volcanic stones, and alpaca meat burgers I left satisfied after every meal.

However, the absolute highlight was the ceviche. Simple in ingredients and complex flavor, every ceviche dish I had in Cusco was masterfully prepared with only the freshest ingredients. In the same way that every person on the planet has a unique fingerprint, every restaurant in Cusco has a unique ceviche. With some being sweet, some being tangy, others being sour every ceviche I had in Cusco brought its own spin on the famous dish. The thing each had in common ? Every last ceviche I ate absolutely packed a punch in the flavor department. One in particular I would highlight was the ceviche I had at the 'Nuna Raymi' restaurant. Both myself and Jordan were brought to tears by how delicious it was.

Other than Nuna Raymi, my other favorites were: "Yaku Restaurant" for Civiche and Alpaca meat dishes. "Uchu Peruvian Steak House" for volcanic cooked steaks and barbecue ribs. "Mercado San Blas" for lomo saltado (as well as just about any other Peruvian dish). For coffee drinkers you should visit: Brew Brother Specialty Coffee (also located in Mercado 'San Blas) for an excellent iced coffee. As well as, Florencia y Fortunata for some high quality beans. Three Monkeys was also good and highly reviewed, but it was quite expensive and not substantially better than what I had elsewhere.

-Safety: 8 / 10:

Cusco certainly felt like the safest city i visited across Latin America. My endorsement of the safety here would even go so far as to say, Cusco feels safer than nearly every city I have visited in North America and many cities in Europe or Asia. What really stands out is how alive the streets are with pedestrians at all times of the day. In fact, I would say the best way to get around Cusco is by walking. There are parks that are lively at all times of the day, markets full of locals and visitors alike, and many bustling shops, cafes, and restaurants. Moreover, Cusco has to be one of the cleanest cities in the South America and maybe even the world. During my time there I saw hardly any litter and there was noticeably few derelict or abandoned buildings. Of all the cities I visited in South America, Cusco is the city where I felt the most comfortable walking around with my big DSLR camera. While I assume there are some pockets of the city that are a bit sketchy, the old-town area where most tourists would be seems to be quite insulated from any such neighborhoods. Personally, I wandered the city fairly extensively and never encountered any neighborhoods that had a bad feel. All in all, the city has a very relaxed and welcoming vibe to it.

-Activities & Things to do: 7 / 10:

In terms of day trips from Cusco, it has to be considered one of the top destinations in the world. Most notably are the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, located about three hours from Cusco via the Peru rail train system. However, many people elect to trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu on the Salkantay trail or Inca trail routes. These treks are very popular and accessible to people from most fitness levels. If traveling to Cusco I would highly recommend not booking any treks online in advance as there are many tour agencies in town offering trekking guide services for a fraction of the price. Other than Machu Picchu you can also visit; Rainbow Mountain, and the Sacred Valley which are both a couple hours from Cusco. If you want to stay close to town there is also plenty to do as well, albeit in more of a laid back variety. What I found to be the best way to spend a day in Cusco was strolling through the cobble stone streets, people watching in plaza de armas, enjoying a specialty coffee in a quaint cafe, and ending the day by having a Michelin rated in dinner in one of the cities many amazing restaurants. Cusco does lose a couple points in this category as most of its famous day trips are over 2 hours away from the city.

Machu Picchu - Located about 2.5 hours on the train from Cusco.

-Cost: 7 / 10:  

Yes, while compared to cities in Europe or North America it is undoubtedly cheap. However, of the cities I visited in Latin America it was one of the more expensive, if not the most expensive. There are cheap options in Cusco, but being one of the best culinary cities in the world you are missing out if you don't indulge a bit. I stayed in a hostel (as always) so my accommodation was cheap. However, I did spend quite a bit more than I normally do for meals on my trips. On average I was spending around 20usd to 30usd for a dinner. That said, it should be kept in mind that these were michelin rated meals for American applebees prices. I also normally went to a specialty coffee shop at least once a day where it was about 5usd per cup.

-Energy, Excitement, and Vibes: 7 / 10:

Cusco is a lively, but laid back town. While it doesn't have the same raucous energy of some of the cities I have ranked higher, it brings a more mature vibe. If you're looking for an insane party scene or a destination that will spike your adrenaline, Cusco probably should not be at the top of your list. However, if you're looking for a warm and welcoming city you can recharge for a bit in-between trekking through the mountains, this is your spot. Come here to stroll through amazingly preserved historic streets, eat some good food, and appreciate the Preuvian culture, both ancient and current.

-My Experience 43 / 50: 

This was a peaceful city that I felt welcome in right away. The food was amazing, the town itself was beautiful, and all of the locals were tremendously kind and friendly. We came here immediately after spending nine days in Huaraz prepping for the Huayhuash circuit, then another eight days on the Huayhuash circuit itself. Needless to say we were fairly spent after that leg of our trip. Coming to Cusco the timing could not have been better as we really got to stretch our legs and recharge for a few days. While I wouldn't say I have any truly insane memories from Cusco, (obviously, not counting our side-trip out to Machu Picchu) I have a deep appreciation for this historical city. I will fondly remember the days I spent here relaxing and trying some of the best foods and coffee in the world. On a final note, I should reiterate I was brought to tears by a dish of ceviche.