San Cristóbal: Manco Cápac and the puma of Cusco

You have climbed a long way: give yourself a minute and let your heart settle. From here you can see why the Incas chose this valley. Below lies the Plaza de Armas; behind you is the path up to Sacsayhuamán.

1The founding couple

According to the account recorded by Inca Garcilaso, the Sun sent his children Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo from Lake Titicaca with a golden staff. They were to found their city wherever the staff sank into the ground at a single blow. That happened in this valley. Another tradition, that of the Ayar brothers, tells the origin differently. Both are founding myths, not a record of events.

This area is called Qolqampata, and tradition places Manco Cápac’s first dwelling here. The church of San Cristóbal is associated with Paullu Inca, son of Huayna Cápac, ally of the Spanish and baptised as Cristóbal.

2A city shaped like a puma

Some 16th-century chroniclers compared Cusco to the body of a puma. Some scholars take this literally: Sacsayhuamán would be the head, and the point where the rivers meet, the tail, still called Pumaqchupan, ‘the puma’s tail’. Others think it was a metaphor. The debate remains open.

Whatever map you look at, the name Pumaqchupan is still there, to the south, recalling the big cat.

3What to look for

• The towers of the Plaza de Armas, handy for getting your bearings.
• The Inca walls of Qolqampata beside the church.
• The sunset over the rooftops.

Sacsayhuamán is a few minutes uphill and usually requires a ticket; if you head down now, take the steps slowly.