the city of cuzco is located in the andes mountains, in southern six peru. it was the center of the inca empire above sea level, and it is surrounded by mountains as high as 6,000 meters. the local people are to climbing the steep slopes of the area. they carry heavy loads on their backs, or they use llamas. visitors to cuzco often have difficulty adjusting to the high altitude, and it may take them several days to get used to it.