Santa Teresa (La Convención) is a town in the Southern Sierra of Peru in the province of La Convención.

Understand

Santa Teresa offers an alternative, cheap way of getting to Machu Picchu, not to mention amazing thermal springs.

Get in

Take the bus from Cusco towards Quillabamba and get off at Santa Maria. From Santa Maria either hike up the Santa Teresa river or take the bus to Santa Teresa.

Daily buses run to Quillabamba from the Santiago terminal in Cusco (7-8 hours, ~ US$4) via Santa María.

Do

Hike to Machu Picchu (four hours).

Visit the amazing Aguas Termales de Colcamayo - entrance S/5 (soles), shared taxi to there S/3 per person.

Drink

• 1 Salkantay coffee and frappe, ☏ +519 84 131 963. Small cafe but with local beans. Ask about the plantation tour. (updated Feb 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Eco Hacienda Roman, Ccollpani Grande, ☏ +51 993 062 162, ecohaciendaroman@gmail.com. Pool, food, wifi. (updated Feb 2024)
• Hospedaje El Sol, Av. Calixto Sanches G-6, ☏ +51 84 637158, +51 940 877506, +51 984 754864. Built after the earthquake, with clean rooms with flat TV, Wi-Fi and private showers. The owner is super friendly and can organize cheap transportation for you. If he likes you, he can even make you a super simple breakfast for free, which is not officially included. There is also a small shop next to the entrance, which he operates. S/60 for double with private bathroom. 
• 2 Vertikal Lodge, ☏ +51 992 185 351. High end lodge out of town. Has restaurant, lounge, pool. (updated Feb 2024)

Go next

• Choquequirao - Take a taxi or bus to the end of the road then hike for several days and finish in Cachora or Huanicapa.
• Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) - Hike to the hydroelectric plant and catch the train (2 hours) or hike all the way (4 hours). In the morning you can also take a shared taxi to Hidroeléctrica for S/5 per person with locals who are boarding the 07:45 train.
• Quillabamba
• CuscoTake a shared taxi/collectivo to Santa Maria (3 soles, 1 hour), and from there another shared taxi to cusco (30 soles, 4 hours). Beware of collectivo drivers charging you a 100 soles flat fee for taking you all the way from Santa Teresa to Cusco. You will have to change over in Santa Maria anyway and pay almost double for a supposed ‘direct’ service.