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Once the capital of the Incas, Cusco, with its red terra-cotta rooftops and Spanish colonial architecture, is like an Andean version of Florence. Under the arches of its elegant plazas and before its grand churches, villagers in colorful local dress mingle with global travelers, and llamas and goats wend their way down its cobbled streets alongside tour buses. At 11,156 feet above sea level, Cusco sits in thin air that provides crystal-clear morning light (but often causes altitude sickness in visitors arriving directly from Lima).