Choquequirao 4 Days

Choquequirao 4 Days

The trek to Choquequirao is a demanding adventure. Leaving Cusco we drive towards the town of Cachora (Apurimac), navigating a 31 kilometers zigzag trail to arrive at the historical building. The route from Cachora to Choquequirao is about 62 kilometers round trip, four long days of walking, with the option to ride a horse.

Altitude: 1500 – 3030 meters

Season: All year

Duration: 4 Days – 3 Nights or 5 Days – 4 Nights

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Day 01 Cusco - Cachora - Chiquisca, we leave early in the morning heading northwest out of Cusco (3350m / 10991f) in the direction of Cachora (2850m / 9350f). Cachora is surrounded by mountains, one of them the snow-covered Padreyoc (5571m / 18228f). Here we meet the porters and the mules who will be carrying all the camping equipment during the expedition. We will begin the walk passing through a variety of ecosystems, accompanied by the mystical Padreyoc mountain as we go through the Capuliyoc pass (2800m / 9186f). From Capuliyoc we will have a spectacular view of the Apurímac canyon and part of the archaeological complex of Choquequirao. Here we will take a short break and look back at the path we came on, appearing much like a stream winding along the edge of the mountain. The path then takes us to our camping place, Chiquisca (1930m / 6332f).

Day 02 Chiquisca - Choquequirao, after the breakfast, we will descend for about one hour to La Playa Rosalina (1550m / 5085f). Here we begin a climb, in a very warm climate, to Marampata (2850m / 9350f), from where we will have a beautiful view over the archaeological complex of Choquequirao. The sunset in Choquequirao is enigmatic, often accompanied by condors, highly symbolic in the Andean religions, which descend from the highest mountains of Vilcabamba, down to the archaeological complex of Choquequirao (3033m / 9951f). We camp here, very close to the archaeological site.

Day 03 Choquequirao - El Carmen, we will see the sunrise over Choquequirao, accompanied by a professional guide to tell us about the history and the recent excavations at this site. At the moment, only about 30% of the ruins are restored, so Choquequirao still holds many ancestral secrets. The restauration project should, over the next 10 years or so, bring the “Cradle of Gold” to the attention of the world and allow us a deeper understanding of the specific function of Choquequirao, which for now remains a mystery.

After visiting the site we will leave by a different route which allows us impressive views along the Apurimac canyon. We will descend 1500 meters (4921f) going from Choquequirao to Playa San Ignacio, then ascend to our camp at a paradisiacal place known as Carmen Huerto (2000m / 6562f)

Day 04 El Carmen - Huanipaca -  Cusco, the Carmen Orchard is next to the Tambobamba property and was ruled by landowners in the years of the colonization. These days Tambobamba (2500m) offers great natural wealth in agriculture and cattle ranching, hereby preserving the tradition and knowledge of our Andean ancestors. Continuing our route, we will visit communities like Pacobamba and Huanipaca (3150m / 10335f). From Huanipaca we will have the most impressive view of the ´Sacsarayoc´ glacier chain located in the region of Vilcabamba, ´The last refuge of the Incas. Next we return to the city of Cusco.