The Hike to Choquequirao Cradle of Gold is long and strenuous, but certainly unforgettable. It starts from Cusco by the road that goes to Abancay. At kilometer 154, take the detour to the town of Cachora, the last town before reaching the archaeological complex. From there he goes on horseback or on foot. The road has recently been extended and arranged. To travel through it, it is now more comfortable and safe. Arriving in Choquequirao requires good physical condition and adequate equipment.
The trek to Choquequirao Trek is the most extraordinary adventure that we put at your fingertips because it is the greatest wonders of Inca architecture. The environment along the circuit is impressive for the presence of an abundant variety of flora, fauna and the adaptation they have had in the variations of temperature, as for the fauna we can find mainly condors, vizcachas, foxes, variety of birds like the cock of the rocks and hummingbirds, in the flora they emphasize the ferns, ichu and great variety of orchids besides an incomparable geography that presents mountains of great height, snowed, innumerable rivers, canyons, falls of waters, valleys, variety of flats ecological, and many more.
Day 01: Cusco - Cachora - Playa Rosalina
Day 02: Playa Rosalina - Choquequirao
Day 03: Choquequirao - Raqaypata
Day 04: Raqaypata - Coca Masana
Day 05: Coca Masana - Cachora - Cusco
Among the nine zones clearly defined in the visible design of Choquequirao, is the area of houses, the administrative area and the artisanal one. The citadel is also crossed by an intricate system of risk channels, some of which flow into the platform area, an impressive combination of more than 180 cultivation steps that reach the river. If your dream is to unveil the mysteries of the Andean mountains and their millenary wealth, do not hesitate to take a trip to the incredible Choquequirao, an Inca treasure in the middle of the mountains.
We pick you up at your hotel at 4 am and take you with our private van to the town of Cachora (2,892 MASL). During the trip, we can enjoy the first beautiful views of the typical villages, valleys and snowy peaks. We find our porters and their horses that we carry. Full of enthusiasm, we set out on our trek for an ascent of about 2 hours and arrived at the town of Capuliyoc. We took advantage of the great view over the Apurimac Canyon and the snow-covered Padrayoc (5571msnm), as well as the location of Choquequirao. Then, you will start a slow descent to Coca Masana, into the canyon (2,330MASL). Finally, you reach to the next campsite at Playa Rosalina (Rosalina Beach) (1,550 MASL) where a delicious lunch awaits us. We enjoyed the tropical tranquility of the place and spent the night.
At the beginning of the day we crossed the river on a pedestrian bridge. From here we walk uphill for half a day until we reach Raqaypata, where we have lunch. As we climb the steep path, we can appreciate the entire area of the canyon, its vegetation and the environment that surrounds it. The afternoon walk will not be as steep as we approach the valley that houses the Choquequirao complex. We camped in a flat area near the archaeological site that we can explore a little after the lunch.
Beautiful day! We will be as amazed as the vast majority of visitors by a guided tour of this fascinating archaeological site. Choquequirao is scattered on both sides of the spur of the God Corihuayrachina and until now only 30% of the site has been brought to light. Then we need all day to fully explore the place and admire the different palaces, temples and ceremonial fountains, a great "Usnu" (ceremonial center) as well as the amazing agricultural terraces. With a little luck we will have the opportunity to see a condor. Then we will return to our Raqaypata camp where we will spend the night.
This morning we will start the return hike with a steep plunge towards the Apurimac River, where we will have lunch. We continue descending until we reach the campsite Coca Masana at 2,330 MASL, where we could have time to appreciate the Apurimac River Canyon. We are camping and having dinner here.
During the morning, we have the ascent, observing the majestic Apurímac canyon and with a bit of luck the flight of the Condor. From the campsite the level of the route is flat (with some small ascents) to the town of Cachora, where our mobility awaits us to return to the city of Cusco.
Trousers and hiking shirts are recommended during the day, eventually complemented by sweaters, and jackets in the afternoon. We recommend convertible walking pants and / or shorts, as some parts of the route run at low altitude and warm weather. It is also very convenient to have light raingear available in the backpack (rain poncho or jacket and / or rain pants) as the weather changes easily and the rains may occur suddenly. At night, warm clothing is required along the route.
The climate of Cusco is divided into two distinct seasons: the rainy season, from November to April (the strongest rains generally occur between January and March); And the dry season, from May to October. The dry season is colder, so temperatures can drop below 0 degrees at night. Along the route to Choquequirao, the temperatures oscillate between 15-25ºC during the day if it is sunny, at 10-20ºC during the day if not sunny. Temperatures go down at night, especially in Choquequirao, at a higher elevation, reaching 5ºC but rarely below. The warm clothes are therefore necessary for this walk.
Very difficult: The route has strong ups and downs, with changes in altitude on a day of more than 1600m / 5200 feet and generally warm weather during the day due to low altitude vs. Cusco. We recommend allowing an acclimatization of a day in Cusco before the departure of the walk.
| Days | 5 |
| Code | CHO5 |
Activity level |
|
