Cusco, Peru - Pope Leo XIV on Sunday faced his toughest physical test since his recent lung cancer surgery, arriving in high-altitude Cusco on the final full day of a marathon South America tour.

The 71-year-old pontiff, who had part of a lung removed a month ago, touched down in the ancient Incan capital, which sits at more than 11,000 feet above sea level – high enough to leave many a visitor breathless.

After arriving in Cusco, Leo was due to travel to the hilltop fortress of Saqsaywaman overlooking the city.

The visit to Peru marks a symbolic homecoming for the US-born pope, who spent nearly two decades as a missionary in the country before becoming head of the Catholic Church.

Canada Trump's trade tsar opens up about Canada trade talks: "We certainly are working on it!"

Later Sunday, he was to fly to Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon to meet Indigenous representatives and highlight threats to rainforest communities, including drug trafficking, illegal logging, and pollution.

The demanding itinerary will be closely watched as the Church seeks reassurances that the illness discovered less than 18 months into Leo's papacy has been overcome.

During an intensive 12-day tour through Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, the pontiff has shown few visible signs of fatigue.