Amazon Adventures

Peru

Choquekirau Trek

This “lost city” fascinated 19th century explorers and Hiram Bingham visited it two years before he discovered Machu Picchu. Difficult to reach, the ruins are rarely visited by travellers.

In 1710, a prospector called Juan Arias Diaz Topete stumbled upon the ruined city. He reported finding an ancient town “wholly uninhabited... named Choquekirau, which in the Inca language means “Golden Cradle”. The French explorer and treasure seeker Eugene Sartiges reached the site in 1824, but it wasn’t until 1847 that the first drawings were made of the ruins, by the French consul, Leonce Angrand. But Choquekirau had to wait until 1909 to be properly explored and documented, when Hiram Bingham, the Hawaiian-born discoverer of Machu Picchu, published his 1910 article in the scientific journal American Anthropologist.

The more famous ruins of Machu Picchu are situated on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, and Choquekirau, located on the western slope at about the same parallel, forms what could almost be described as their mirror image. Both citadels are located half-way up steep, densely-forested mountain slopes, overlooking major rivers.

The southern approach to Choquekirau from Cachora requires a steep descent from almost 3200 metres down to the Apurímac river at 1200 metres, followed by an even steeper ascent up to the ruins. The site is perched a magnificent 1150 metres above the Apurímac, surrounded by densely-forested mountain slopes in the shadow of the huge, snowcapped Salkantay massif. The ruins have been partially-cleared by COPESCO, and can be easily explored by those intrepid enough to undertake the demanding trek required to get there.

Day 1 We leave Cusco in the early morning to journey by road to the small village of Cachora. On the way we will have an opportunity to visit Saywite, a fascinating and unique Inca site some 140 kilometres from Cusco.

SAYWITE is a limestone outcrop about four metres in diameter on which the Incas carved a model of their empire, Tawantinsuyo. The stone, upon which images of the flora, fauna, topography and customs of the empire of the sun were traced, was used in ceremonies dedicated to the worship of water. Several other similar rock outcrops lie scattered across the surrounding area, along the vestiges of an Inca highway.

On arriving in Cachora we will be met by our mule drivers, who will load our gear on the horses and mules before we begin our first day’s hike. With the great Salkantay massif in front of us on the other side of the canyon, we will head along the edge of the Apurímac canyon, with the river almost 2000 metres below us. About half-way through the day we will begin our winding descent to the river. As we descend the heat becomes intense, and we will arrive hot and tired at the bridge which crosses the river, where we will be able to bathe to refresh ourselves. We will camp at the river’s edge that night.

Day 2. Today we will make the steep 1800 metre ascent up to the ruins of Choquekirau. The path will lead us through dense cloud forest for about two hours, when we will finally get our first view of the citadel on a spur ahead of us. Another two hours walk, with Choquekirau now almost constantly in sight, leads us to our destination. Here we will have the rest of the day to relax. we will camp close to the ruins.

Day 3. Explore the ruins and, hopefully, see some condors. These great Andean birds, with a wingspan of up to three metres, tend to rise up from the floor of the canyon on the afternoon thermals, providing visitors on the central plaza of Choquekirau with a magnificent show.

Day 4 Today we will bid farewell to Choquekirau and begin our descent to the Apurímac river, crossing the bridge again and beginning the ascent to Cachora before camping for the night above the river in a small glade of trees.

Day 5. An early start today will help us to avoid the worst of the heat in the canyon and guarantee us some magnificent views of the Apurímac and the surrounding peaks. We will arrive in Cachora around lunchtime, where our vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Cusco.

Dates: any day with minimum of 2 people.

Price per person: US$840 each for 2, $605 each for 3, $472 each for 4. Single supp. if requested is $60.

4 day trek and 4 or 5 day treks with easier hiking are available.