Another reason why Cusco is a good place to learn Spanish is because Peruvian Spanish is generally a lot easier to understand than in many other Latin American countries such as Chile and Argentina where a lot of slang is spoken and regional accents are almost impossible to understand for a Gringo whose only just started to learn.

If you’re interested in volunteering there are also a lot of opportunities to combine your volunteer placement with Spanish lessons for no extra cost. Several of the Spanish schools in Cuzco are owned and run by non-profit organisations.

Costs of learning Spanish

Learning Spanish in Cusco is relatively inexpensive and most of the schools charge similar fees. Expect to pay around $7 – $10 per hour for one-on-one tuition, and around $4 – $6 per hour to be part of a small class (usually no more than 5 or 6 students).

Spanish Schools

Here is a list of some of the most well known Spanish Schools in Cusco:

Mundo Antiguo spanish school – http://www.learnspanishinperu.net/

Fairplay Spanish Courses – http://www.fairplay-peru.org

Wiracocha Spanish School – www.wiracochaschool.org

AMAUTA Spanish School – http://www.amautaspanish.com

Cusco Spanish School – http://www.cuscospanishschool.com

South American Spanish School – http://www.sasschool.org

Mundo Verde – http://www.mundoverdespanish.com

Maximo Nivel – http://www.maximonivel.net

Amigo Spanish Schools – http://www.spanishcusco.com

You can get discounts at most of the above Spanish Schools by joining South American Explorers Club

If you spend any time walking around Cusco you’ll soon notice that many tour companies are advertising Ayahuasca ceremonies. It’s important to note that Ayahuasca is a very potent mind-altering substance and is not something to be taken lightly or for recreational purposes. An Ayahuasca ceremony is usually an incredibly intense spiritual experience and you had better be prepared to have your views about life altered for ever!

In my opinion it’s also very important that you take Ayahuasca with an experienced shaman who is able to protect the space and provide help if necessary. Otherwise you run the risk of having a harmful experience that could take some time to fully recover from.

There are probably well over a dozen people running Ayahuasca ceremonies in or around Cusco. The following are people or organisations that I believe to be reliable and will provide you with a positive and safe ayahuasca experience.

Etnikas – Etnikas is a store and shamanic healing centre in the heart of Cusco. They work with over 50 Peruvian shamans and are extremely committed to providing safe ceremonies to participants.

Kush – Kush owns The Shaman Shop in the centre of Cusco. He does 3 Ayahuasca ceremonies a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) which currently cost $70.

Ayahuasca Wasi – Ayahausca Wasi organise  Aya retreats in Pisac in the sacred valley.

El Molle – El Molle is a small sustainable Ayahuasca community in Pisac, near Cusco.

Here are a few sites where you can find people blogging about their experiences in Cusco

Travelblog.org – Has over 2700 travel blogs that feature Cusco!

TravelPod.com – Has over 2500 blogs featuring Cuzco.

Here are a few other maps for those looking for something online

Cusco on Google maps

View Larger Map

Cusco Tourist Map

Map of central cusco

Map of Cusco & Surrounding Area

Area surrounding Cuzco

Wikipedia currently says the population is 348,935 which it says it triple what the population was 20 years ago.

InfoPeru.com says the population is about 400,000

This site says the population of Cusco is as high as 450,000!

CuscoPeru.com – Contains lots of useful information about Cusco, including general information, travel info, hotels and tours.

AboutCusco.com – Another good tourist guide to Cusco.

Cusco-Peru.org – Lots of information about tourist attractions and things to do in Cusco

If you do a bit of Googling on this subject you’ll find that almost every website gives a different, although very similar answer. I guess it must depend on which part of Cusco you’re measuring to because Cusco itself is hardly flat, it’s a very hilly city.

Wikipedia says around 3,300m

This website gives a more exact sounding 3,326 m (10,912 ft)

Other measurements I’ve seen include 3,360 m, 11,200 ft, 11,150 ft

There are two distinct seasons in this region of Peru and that is the wet and dry seasons. The wet season is the summer and runs approximately from October until April. The dry season is the winter and run approximately May until September. Peru is in the southern hemisphere so summer and winter are the opposite of northern hemisphere countries.

The most popular time to visit Cusco is in the winter/dry season because there’s far more sunshine, however be warned, the sun sets early, and the evenings can be very cold. Most houses and hotels in Cusco do not have any kind of central heating so it’s very important to have warm clothes for the evenings.

Temperatures in Cusco

The average year round temperature in Cusco during the daytime is about 20°C (68°F).

As mentioned above, night time can be very cold, and although temperatures rarely drop below freezing, they can get as low as between 1°C and 7°C.

For more detailed information about average temperatures click here