Photo: Ordzonhyd Rudyard Tarco Palomino, CC BY-SA 4.0 
Photo: Bryan Dougherty, CC BY-SA 2.0
Choquequirao Trek
Caminata a Choquequirao
A walk from the village of Cachora down into the Apurímac canyon and up to Choquequirao, an Inca site reachable only on foot.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Cachora
- Ends in
- Choquequirao archaeological site
- Length
- 32 km
- On foot
- 4 days
- Countries
Peru
About the trail
Choquequirao sits on a ridge high above the Apurímac river, in country that sheltered the last independent Inca state after the Spanish conquest. Its terraces, plazas and ceremonial buildings are often compared with Machu Picchu, but with no road or railway the site is reached only by walking.
The path leaves Cachora and drops in long switchbacks to the bottom of the Apurímac canyon, crosses the river and climbs just as steeply up the far side to the ruins. Among the restored terraces is a set decorated with white stone figures of llamas, one of the most striking features of the site.
PromPerú, the national tourism board, describes a 32 km walk over four days from Cachora. The canyon floor is hot and the climbs are relentless, so most walkers start early in the day and use mules to carry loads; the return is usually made on the same path.