THE 12 SACRED MOUNTAINS (APUS) OF CUZCO.

In the religion and mythology of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, APUS were and still are the spirits or entities of the mountains. Also, solitary rocks and caves are considered sacred places (apus). This spirits protect the local inhabitants in the highlands.
This entities are the most powerful of all nature spirits. They were light beings that existed within the sacred mountains.
The 12 sacred mountains around the city of Cuzco are: Ausan-gate, Salk-antay, Pillku Urqu, Huanacaure, Pachatusan, Picchu, Sacsayhuaman, Sinqa, Mama Simona, Manuel Pinta, Viracochan, and Pukin. The following descriptions belong to the first 8 of them.
AUSAN-GATE is a mountain situated South East of Cuzco, with an elevation of 6,384 metres. Each year the "star-snow" (Quyllur Rit) festival attracts thousands of Quechua pilgrims. It takes place one week before the Corpus Christi feast. The sacred llama, alpaca and vicuna inhabit in the region, and the herding communities there constitute one of the few remaining pastorals societies in the world. High mountain trails are used by these herders to trade with agricultural communities at lower elevations.
SALCANTAY is the highest peak of the Vilcabamba mountain range, with an elevation situated West North-West of the city of Cuzco. It is the second most topographically prominent peak in Peru, after the Huascaran.
Directly to the North of Salcantay lies Machu Picchu. Viewed from Machu Picchu's main sundial, the Southern Cross is above the Salcantay's summit during the rainy season at its highest point.
PILLCU URQU (Red Mountain) is a 4,448 metres (14,593 ft) near the city of Cuzco.
HUANACAURE is a legendary mountain and one of the most important Huacas of the Inca culture. The mountain with its archaeological remains is 4,089 metres (13,415 ft) high and the highest elevation near Cuzco. Huacas were located along revered line of sacred energy or route laid out to express the profound communication between them and the cosmological forces and were aligned astronomically to various stellar risings and settings.
PACHATUSAN (Support Wall) is a mountain North East of the city of Cuzco, about 4,842 metres (15,886 ft) high, on the Western bank of the Vilcanota River.
PICCHU (Pyramid) is a mountain West of the city of Cuzco, about 3,800 metres (12,467 ft) high.
SACSAYHUAMAN is a citadel on the Northern outskirts of the city of Cuzco. The site is at an altitude of 3,701 metres. Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the Sacred Valley to the South East.
SINQA (Rose) is a 4,423 metres (14,511 ft) high mountain North West of the city of Cuzco.