A Stunning Trek to the Ruins of Choquequirao
For an unforgettable adventure, trek past snow-capped Andean peaks, sheer cliffs, and the spectacular Apurímac River canyon in an odyssey through the cloud forest and to the high-altitude jungle which hides the little-known ruins of Choquequirao. The name Choquequirao comes from the Quechua chuqui k’iraw, which means ‘Cradle of Gold’. Unlike its overrun ‘sister city’ Machu Picchu, the ruins of Choquequirao are still remote and nearly deserted. Although it’s only been 30% excavated and there is much more to discover at this site, which once served as the link between the imperial capital of the Incas, Cusco, and the Amazon Jungle.
The trek to Choquequirao is challenging, 
especially if you plan on doing the Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek. You need to be in reasonable shape and properly equipped. For years, there has been talk of a cable car that will take visitors across the valley and to the ruins in just fifteen minutes, but it has yet to be constructed. There’s an upside to this, however, in that the ruins are visited by extremely few people. You are unlikely to meet other hikers en route, except at camp sites, and will enjoy a nearly empty site.
Choquequirao is located on the steep spur of a snow-capped peak in the Willkapampa mountain range, above the Apurímac River, 100 miles west of Cusco. For the past twenty years, archeologists have been slowly unearthing the site, which was never discovered by the Spanish. The route to the site boasts unforgettable, expansive views. It will take you through Andean peaks into the high-altitude jungle. Along the way, you’ll enjoy some lush greenery, colorful butterflies and birds. With luck, you’ll spot some rare animals as well, such as the endandered Andean condor and the spectacled bear.
Depending on the trek you choose, you will have four to eleven days of hiking and camping, with the help of mules and porters for carrying camping and cooking equipment. If you only want to visit Choquequirao, it will take you two days to get there from Cusco and two days to return. The longer treks go from Cusco to Choquequirao to Machu Picchu before returning to Cusco.
The hike begins in the tiny town of Cachora, marked by mud-brick houses, unpaved roads, and fields carpeted by subsistence crops. It’s a four and a half-hour drive from Cusco to Cachora. From there, you’ll continue on foot, following the Apurímac River for a good part of the first day, and camping alongside it for the night. The following morning, you’ll cross the rapids in a metal cage hanging from a cable. On the other side of the river, the true ascent begins as you follow a series of switchbacks until reaching the hamlet of Marampata at around noon. After lunch and a rest, there will be two more hours of hiking in order to reach the Incan agricultural terraces below Choquequirao. It’s the perfect place to set up camp for the night, under a remarkably clear milky way. The guide can explain to you some of the constellations that the Incas picked out from the stars of the southern hemisphere: the llama, the snake, the canvas.
The next day, you’ll get a closer look at those terraces, some of which have geometric designs or figures representing llamas. At the ruins, still somewhat overgrown with the jungle, the guide will take you through the site and explain its significance and history. Like Machu Picchu, it appears to have been a 15th century royal estate for Inca Pachacuti, although later remodeling shows that it would also have been used by his successor Tupaq Inka Yupanki. Some believe that the remote site may have been one of the fabled final strongholds to which the Incas retreated after the failure of Manco Inca Yupanqui to take back Cusco in 1535.
The hilltop was laboriously leveled in order to construct the site, which boasts a residential area for workers and common people as well as separate quarters for priests and high-ranking Incas, temples, a system of fountains and baths, stairways, storehouses, ceremonial platforms, the main square, a wall for offerings to the ancestors, agricultural terraces. You’ll notice some impressive features, such as the Llamas of the Sun rock art, trapezoidal doorways, and irrigation canals. Looking down below the ruins, you’ll see clouds drifting through the Andean valleys and the distant Apurímac River. The improbable location, in its remoteness and wildness, and its stunning surrounding landscape, is what makes Choquequirao such a seductive site. If you’re interested in trying the excursion for yourself, contact the travel specialists of Pirwa Travel Service at pirwatravel@gmail.com for more information about the options available.
