Beating Altitude Sickness in Cusco: The Best Tips
Before coming to Peru, we had read blogs about people suffering from altitude sickness, especially when they flew in to Cusco directly.
Obviously, we were a little bit apprehensive as we came directly from Playa del Carmen in Mexico to Cusco, after having spent a month in Costa Rica.
We did read up on how to behave and what to do to prevent it once you are here, though.
So here is our compilation of tips to beat altitude sickness in Cusco - the ones that worked for us.
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Why do you risk altitude sickness in Cusco?
First things first: what causes altitude sickness?
Lesser oxygen molecules
Cusco was built in the mountains, at an altitude of approximately 3400 m above sea level.
Anything above 2500 m does things to your body when it's not used to spend time in this kind of altitude.
That is because the atmospheric pressure decreases, which, in turn, causes oxygen molecules to be further apart.
So it's not necessarily 'lesser oxygen' in the air but more the fact that with each breath you take in smaller amounts of oxygen molecules.
The symptoms of altitude sickness
First, let's make a difference between the adjustment process and the real altitude sickness - the latter can be really dangerous if you're not careful!
Adjusting to the height: the symptoms
Altitude sickness: the symptoms
Then there are obviously even more severe complications but they shouldn't occur when you are a healthy person and not doing any extreme sports in these altitudes without adjusting first.
I won't go into more details here as I'm not a doctor and thus not entitled to give this kind of information.
Acclimatising in order to prevent altitude sickness in Cusco
Can one even adjust to these heights?
Actually, the human body would need at least 3 months to really adapt to a certain altitude.
But there are several things you can do to prevent heavier symptoms of the altitude sickness, even if you are in Cusco for a much shorter time.
Fun fact
Apparently, when you are born in a certain altitude, the atmospheric pressure has an effect on the foetus: people born in the mountains are generally a lot shorter than those at sea level.
Feeling the altitude in Cusco's streets
When staying in Cusco, the things you might feel the most are headaches and shortness of breath.
Headache - because of the pressure but also possible dehydration. The air is cold, even when the sun shines, which means you won't feel the thirst as much.
Sebi and I had to constantly remind ourselves to drink enough!
Shortness of breath - well... Cusco is built in terraces. Especially when you are staying in the San Blas area, you will walk up and down the stairs from Plaza de Armas numerous times a day!
And that's where we felt the altitude every single time. You're just out of breath a lot faster than usually.
Acclimatising to higher altitude: tips & recommendations
Here are the do's and don'ts generally recommended to adjust:
Obviously, the don't would be the exact opposite...
Recommendations on how to behave in Cusco
Strolling through the city while having a few rest-stops here and there at cafés or restaurants is the best way to get used to the altitude.
Here are some more exciting things to do in and around Cusco that don't involve heavy hikes and our list with restaurants you can use to 'adjust' - or just enjoy the food:
Also bear this in mind: your digestion might work in a funny way.
In higher altitudes, the body focusses on getting enough oxygen to your vital organs and thereby tends to neglect the digestive functions.
I definitely felt this the most as I struggle with Ulcerative Colitis and food has always been an issue.
Coca or muña tea?
Coca is perfect to adjust to the height, especially in the first days. Apparently, there is a tiny amount of cocaine in the leaves that helps your heart pump more oxygen into your body.
Muña, the Andean mint, is your best friend when your tummy does weird and your need to regulate your digestion.
Good to know:
Coca has an energising effect so you might wanna hold back on consuming it in the evening as it might cause trouble sleeping.
Did we suffer from altitude sickness in Cusco?
The short answer: no
My various health issues include a mild form of asthma and migraines (although I didn't have these in a long time) so I was both scared of the shortness of breath and the headaches.
Adding to this the fact that I had a (benign) tumor growing on my trachea back in 2018, I get panic attacks whenever I feel I don't get enough oxygen.
The procedure for extracting a sample of the tumour left me with a feeling of suffocation for weeks.
Obviously, I was pretty scared to spend so much time in the altitude - it was the first time actually!
But it all went well and we didn't have any really severe symptoms at all.
Read also | Traveling despite a chronic disease
Did we feel anything?
Yes!
We were staying in AirBnB's in the San Blas area which, like I said earlier, involved a lot of ups and downs to get to from the centre.
Shortness of breath came frequently. And mild headaches sometimes but mostly related to the fact that we forgot to drink enough - once we were re-hydrated, it was all good.
Fun fact:
We felt it the most when going to the loo in our AirBnB: the bed- and bathroom were upstairs and when you are in a hurry, you usually run up these stairs - it was like we just did a marathon every time haha!
In conclusion
If you remember all these tips like resting enough, not overdoing it, drinking plenty and use Coca and Muña, you should be absolutely fine!
Just in case you have any doubts when experiencing weird things: don't hesitate to call a doctor or get checked at the hospital if the symptoms are too heavy or you just feel very uncomfortable though!
We loved Cusco and stayed there for a few weeks! And while I'm writing these lines, we are preparing for our night-bus taking us back from Arequipa to Cusco again.
So we will have to slightly adjust yet again as we are going from 2500 m above sea level to 3399 m again!
I hope this post could help you! Feel free to comment, pin and share this in order to support us and help others as well!
As ever
xx
Cyn
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