Choquequirao 4D/3N .- Setting aside the increasingly busy trail, Choquequirao (“The Cradle of Gold” in Quechua – “The Other Machu Picchu,” as a 2007 article in the New York Times called it) is an incredibly preserved Inca outpost, dramatically located on a promontory nearly 1800m / 6000ft above the rugged Apurimac River gorge.
Choquequirao (3,103m / 10178ft), considered to be a sister city of similar significance to Machupicchu and built on similar lines, although more difficult to reach, is also presumed to be about the same size and to have served the same religious, political and agricultural functions. However, because archaeologists long underestimated Choquequirao’s importance, the city’s existence was known for nearly 300 years before the first restoration began in 1993 and only recently became accessible to non-academics, since when it quickly joined the ranks of the world’s great lost cities … .
We leave Cusco at 04:00 am in our private transportation and head towards Cachora (2 800 masl / 9 184 ft), an Andean community located 5 hours from Cusco. Cachora is the starting point of the trek where we meet our riders and horses. We begin our climbing trek for two and a half hours to Abra Capuliyoc (2 750 masl / 9 020 ft), where we can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the Apurimac River canyon. We then continue descending for two more hours to Chiquisca, where we set up camp and spend the night.
We leave Chiquisca at 6:00 am to descend to Rosalina beach, which will take about an hour. Then we cross the Apurimac River and start climbing towards Santa Rosa, zigzagging up a steep slope. This climb will take approximately 2 hours, and it is important that we leave early so that the heat does not make it more difficult than it has to be. In Santa Rosa, we pause for half an hour, where those who wish can try Cambray, a local sugar cane extract. Then, we continue our hike slowly climbing for two and a half hours until we reach our lunch spot in Marampata. From here we hike another two hours until we reach the archaeological complex of Choquequirao (3 103 masl / 10 178 ft). Here we will camp and enjoy free time to explore the terraces and buildings. When the sun begins to set,
his morning we enjoy a complete guided tour of the Choquequirao complex: we will visit the high parts (Hanan) and the low parts (Urin), and some areas that are still covered with wild foliage and ready to be restored to the way it was when the Incas owned it. After the tour, we start our way back to Santa Rosa, where we will have lunch. Then we continue descending for another 2 hours until we reach Rosalina beach (1 450 masl / 4 756 ft), where we might have time to take a refreshing swim in the waters of the Apurimac River. We camp and have dinner here.
We leave the camp after breakfast to begin the two to three hour ascent to Chiquisca, and then return to Abra Capuliyoc, near which we have lunch. In the afternoon, we continue on our two-hour return route to Cachora, where private transportation will be waiting to take us back to Cusco. Estimated time of arrival is around 9.00pm.
* Departure and arrival times are approximate.
** The campsites are subject to change according to our guide’s criteria and the progress of the group.
Difficulty
Very challenging: the route has steep highs and lows, with altitude changes in a day of over 1600 m / 5200 ft and generally warm weather during the day due to the lower altitude versus Cusco. We recommend allowing a day’s acclimatization in Cusco before departure on the trek.
24/7/365 We speak English and Spanish
Hi! Click one our members below to chat on WhatsApp ;)
