Bussines

As in many countries around the world, things were very different in the past and Peru is not an exception. The Inca Empire was the largest empire in South America between 1400 to 1600, and its administrative, political and military centre was located in Cuzco, but when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Peru, they established and founded the Capital of the Spanish Empire in Lima. This essay will compare and contrast many different factors of these cities as a tourism destination.

GEOGRAPHY

Lima is located on mostly flat terrain in the Peruvian coastal plain, within the valleys of the ChillÐ"Ñ-n, RÐ"­mac and LurÐ"­n rivers. The city slopes gently from the shores of the Pacific Ocean into valleys and mountains located as high as 500 metres above mean sea level (Wikipedia, 2005, p. 1).

вЂ?вЂ?Cusco, a city in southeastern Peru located in the middle of Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountains, is around 3,500 m above mean sea levelвЂ™Ð²Ð‚™ (Burland, 1967, p.13).

Peru

LIMA-CUSCO

How to get there?

If you visit Lima, you will arrive at the International Airport Jorge Chavez located in Lima which is the main airport of the country and the only which receives international flights in Peru. Lima doesn’t have a public bus system but has many private buses and very cheap taxis for about US$20-30. In contrast, Cuzco is a not to be missed city when visiting Peru. If you want to come directly you must arrive at the International Airport Jorge Chavez located in Lima, the only airport which receives international flights in Peru. The tourists could take another flight to Cusco, around US$90 for a round trip ticket. In spite of the fact that all regions in Peru don’t have a public bus system, tourists could take really cheap and safe taxis for around US$3. (Latin America: Real Life Experiences, 2007, p.27).

LIMA-CUSCO

Where to go?

In Lima tourists usually start visiting MiraFlores or San Isidro which represents modern Lima as a financial centre, upscale hotels and restaurants. You can also visit The Historic Centre of Lima вЂ?вЂ?declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 due to its large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial eraвЂ™Ð²Ð‚™(Unesco, 2007. p.1). For example, the Plaza Mayor with the 16th century Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the catacombs of the Convento de Saint Francisco are popular tourist attractions. On the other hand, Cusco tourists usually start visiting the city, which is surrounded by many archaeological remains as Sacsayhuaman, the Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and towns such as Pisaq, Calca and Yucay, which still preserve the traditions of their ancestors. Similarly to Lima, Cusco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 due to its large number of stone buildings dating from the Incas heritage (Unesco, 2006, p.1). Like many other world capitals, Lima is home to the most prestigious Peruvian museums: including the National Museum of Anthropology, the museum of Archaeology and History, the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of the Nation. In contrast, the city of Cusco is, itself, a great museum that holds amazing archaeological and artistic treasures. Its streets are protected by magnificent buildings in which stone and adobe are superposed, evidence of a glorious past. Lima has many small beaches located along the southern Pan-American Highway, which receive a lot of people during the summer months. The most well-known