Choquequirao Trek
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Choquequirao is as impressively located as it's more famous sister city Machu Picchu. Some researchers have called this city the Incas last secret, for although the Spanish invaded Vilcabamba, refuge of the last Incas twice, they never discovered Choquequirao.
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The NY Times Magazine placed it on the list of "Places to Go in 2024", featured as an archaeological wonder. This route through the remote Vilcabamba region is mostly travelled by local highlanders, guaranteeing travelers a sense of discovery after a journey through spectacular scenery and a vivid regional history which includes the guerrilla war fought by the last Incas against Spanish domination. 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 grandeur of the Inca architecture, with terraces, plazas, and great walls, has even led to the term "the other Machu Picchu", with the big difference that the Inca citadel is seven times bigger and has only about 10,000 visitors per year since the only way to reach the site is to walk for three to four days. The adventure is well worth the effort, as the path is surrounded by diverse flora and fauna, and mesmerizing waterfalls seen along the hike.
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4 Day Trek
DAY 1: CUSCO / CACHORA / APURÍMAC RIVER From Cusco we will travel by road to the typical Andean village of Cachora, where many local residents supplement their incomes by working as mule drivers or porters for those who come to trek to Choquequirao. During the drive from Cusco there will be time to stop and visit the Saywite stone, a limestone outcrop around four meters in diameter which the Incas carved into a 3-dimensional representation of the territory of their empire, Tawantinsuyo. The stone is carved with images of the flora, fauna and geography of the empire and was employed in ceremonies associated with the worship of water.From Cusco it is a 150 kilometer drive to Cachora along an asphalt road, with the final 10 kilometers to the village completed via a dirt road. Cachora is situated at an altitude of 2882 meters, and it is from here that our trek will begin, as we hike along a gradually descending trail for just over 2 hours to the pass at Capuliyoc (2800 meters), from where there are fine views of the Apurímac River and the forested slopes on the other side of the canyon. It is here that our steep descent into the canyon begins, as we trek through a semi-arid landscape dominated by cacti which contrasts with the verdant slopes of the other side of the canyon. After around three and a half hours we will arrive at our first campsite, at 1475 meters, on the bank close to the racing waters of the Apurímac River. Meals: Lunch, dinner Distance by bus: Cusco – Cachora 160 km (asphalted road 150km) Traveling time by bus: 3-4 hours Trekking distance: 9 km (gradual ascent) 9.50 km (steep descent) Trekking time: 6.5–7 hours. Altitudes: Cusco 3400 m / Saywite 3800 m / Cachora 2882 m / First campsite 1475 m DAY 2: APURÍMAC RIVER / CHOQUEQUIRAO Today we will set off just after dawn, crossing the bridge across the Apurímac River(1445 meters) and beginning the climb to Choquequirao. This is a tough day’s trekking, but our efforts will be rewarded by imposing scenery as we hike through the forest inhabited by many bird species. We will climb through this cloud forest ecosystem to our second campsite at 2858 meters, and in the afternoon there will be time to visit the extensive Inca agricultural terraces of Phaqchayoc. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Trekking distance: 7 km (steep ascent) 3.5 km (gradual ascent) Trekking time: 7 hours Altitudes: River 1475 m / Choquequirao campsite 2858 m / Choquequirao ruins 3040 m DAY 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO / APURÍMAC RIVER You will have the morning to explore the Choquequirao Archaeological Park, both accompanied by our guide and independently. This Inca city is composed of administrative, residential and religious sectors, a ceremonial platform (known in Quechua as an usnu), a main square and a series of buildings originally used to store harvests. After exploring Choquequirao and the surrounding cloud forest we will begin our descent from the ruins to the Apurímac, where those who wish will have time to refresh themselves in the cold waters of the river. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Trekking distance: 3.5 km (gradual descent) 7 km (steep descent) Trekking time: 6 hours Altitudes: Choquequirao campsite 2858 m. Campsite 1475 m. DAY 4: CUSCO After breakfast we will cross the Apurímac River once again and begin the ascent towards Cachora, passing through the semi-arid landscape and contemplating the forests on the other side of the canyon and the snow-capped peaks above them, each time we stop to rest and take photographs. Finally, with the river far below us once more, we will hike through the farmland around the village to Cachora, where our bus will be waiting to take us back toCusco. Meals: Breakfast Trekking distance: 9.50 km (steep ascent) 9 km (gradual ascent) Trekking time: 7 - 7.5 hours Altitudes: Campsite 1475 m / Cachora 2882 m / Cusco 3400 m Distance by bus: Cachora -Cusco 160 km (asphalted road 150 km) Traveling time by bus: 3-4 hours 2024 Price for Private trek: with 2 people = US$1019 per person, with 3 people = US$734 per person, with 4 people = US$604 per person Group departure = US$985 per person (min. of 2 people for group departure) Single supplement = US$50. |
5 Day Trek
DAY 1: CUSCO / CACHORA / APURÍMAC RIVER same as day one to left DAY 2: APURÍMAC RIVER / CHOQUEQUIRAO same as day 2 to left DAY 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO You will have the entire day free to explore the Choquequirao Archaeological Park, both accompanied by our guide and independently. This Inca city is composed of administrative, residential and religious sectors, a ceremonial platform (known in Quechua as an usnu), a main square and a series of buildings originally used to store harvests. With luck, from the ceremonial platform we may see a condor or two, as they often take advantage of thermal currents to soar above the Apurímac canyon. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Altitudes: Choquequirao, between 2858 and 3040 meters DAY 4: CHOQUEQUIRAO / APURÍMAC RIVER same as day 3 to left DAY 5: CUSCO same as day 4 to left 2024 Price for Private trek: with 2 people = US$1143 per person, with 3 people = US$825 per person, with 4 people = US$661 per person . Group departure = US$1095 per person. Single supplement = US$62 INCLUDED on both treks:
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