A spectacular 60 km trek that
will lead you to the enigmatic last refuge of the Incas. Choquequirao (3.103m/10178ft) is
a huge archaeological complex still under cleaning and restoration process located in the
surroundings of the Salkantay sacred mountain (6.271m/20569ft) and the Apurimac River
canyon. You will enjoy amazing mountain scenery as well as lots of Andean flora and fauna.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Cusco to Chiquisca
We leave Cusco at around 7.00 am in our private transportation, and drive
towards Cachora, an Andean community located 4-5h from Cusco. After driving for two and a half hours,
we stop in Tarawasi, where we visit the archaeological remains of an Inca Usno, a place
were ceremonies and celebrations to mother earth were conducted. We leave Tarawasi
and continue along the road, across the Apurimac River and up again through Curawasi and to Saywite,
our second stop an hour and a half later. Here we visit the famous Inca rock that
was believed to be the construction plan for the Tahuantinsuyo Empire, with carvings of
animals representing the main deities. From Saywite, we continue on to Cachora only 30
minutes away and at 2800m/9184ft, where we will enjoy our box lunch. In the
afternoon we start our hike climbing for two and a half hours towards the Abra Capuliyoc
at 2750m/9020ft, where may we enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the Apurimac River Canyon. We then continue descending two more hours
towards Chiquisca, where we set our camp and spend the night. Meals: L, D
Day 2 - Chiquisca to
Choquequirao
We leave Chiquisca as early as
6.00am to go down to Rosalina Beach, which will take about one hour. We then cross
the Apurimac River and start climbing towards Santa Rosa, zigzagging up a steep slope. This climb will
take an approximated 2h, 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 make a half an hour break, where those who
wish may try Cambray, a local sugar cane extract. Afterwards, we continue our hike slowly
climbing for two and a half hours until we reach our lunch spot in Marampata. From
here we walk another two hours until we reach the archaeological complex of Choquequirao,
located at 3103m/10178ft, where we will set up camp and enjoy some free time to explore
the terraces and buildings. When the sun starts to set, you might want to sit and
contemplate the canyon, where condors are sometimes spotted. Meals: B, L, D
Day 3 - Choquequirao
Today,
we enjoy a complete guided tour of the Choquequirao complex: we will visit the high parts
(Hanan), and the lower parts (Urin), and some areas that are still covered in wild foliage
and ready to be restored into the way it was when the Incas owned it. We will have th full
day to exxplore the site and relax, enjoying the spectacular views that surround the area.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4 - Choquequirao to Rosalina Beach
Today,
we enjoy a complete guided tour of the Choquequirao complex during the morning: we will
visit the high parts (Hanan), and the lower parts (Urin), and some areas that are still
covered in wild foliage and ready to be restored into the way it was when the Incas owned
it. After the tour, we start our walk back towards Santa
Rosa,
where we have lunch. We then continue descending for another 2 hours until we reach Rosalina
Beach
at 1450m/4756ft, where we might have time to take a refreshing dip in the waters of the Apurimac
River.
We camp and dine here. Meals: B, L, D
Day 5 - Rosalina Beach to Cachora
We leave camp after breakfast to start the two to three hour climb to Chiquisca, to
then make our way back to the Abra Capuliyoc, close to which we have our lunch. In the
afternoon, we continue on our two hour return route to Cachora, where a private
transportation will be waiting to take us back to Cusco. Estimated arrival time around 9.00pm. Meals: B, L
* Departure and arrival times are approximated.
** Campsites are subject to change according to our
guide’s criteria and the evolution of the group.
Difficulty
degree of this hike: Challenging.
The route has steep ups and downs, with changes of
altitude in one day of over 1600m/5200ft and usually warm weather during the day due to
the lower altitude vs Cusco. We recommend allowing several days of acclimatization
in Cusco prior to the trek departure.
