Day 1 Cusco - Cachora -
Rosalina - Santa Rosa
You will be picked up from your hotel located in
the city of Cusco to go towards the starting point in the village of San Pedro de Cachora, 4 hours away from
Cusco at 2,800 meters above sea level.
The trekking
to Choquequirao starts at Capuliyoq and here you will enjoy great views of
snow-capped peaks in the distance. We will hike for 4 hours with amazing
landscapes and different weathers, and unique flora and fauna.
We will admire the Apurimac River that pass through
the depths of the Apurimac canyon, and you will get the first views of Choquequirao ruins. Going downhill we
are going to reach Chiquisca to enjoy lunch and take a short rest. Later, we
will begin the last path downhill of the day for 2 hours until reach Playa Rosalina located at 1,800 meters
above sea level.
The hike continues to the
campsite located in Santa Rosa at 1,950 meters above sea level. Distance
traveled: 10.56 miles – Approximate time of walk: 7 hours.
Day 2 Rosalina - Santa Rosa - Marampata – Choquequirao
After breakfast, the hike starts
uphill for 3 hours and a half through the opposite side of the Apurimac Valley until reach Marampata,
a nice place to rest and admire lovely views to the valley.
The hike to Choquequirao continues towards the campsite located near
the archaeological site Choquequirao
with a high altitude of 2,800 meters
above sea level. You can enjoy lunch, make a tour to the ruins and be amazed
with the sunset view from the religious area of Choquequirao. Spend an amazing
time with a guided tour around this place and learn about the connection with the
Inca site of Machu Picchu.
The complex has different areas
like squares, temples and platforms. It has a rich biodiversity in fauna like condors, foxes, vizcachas, bears, pumas,
among others. The Andean flora is
wonderful such as ichu and orchids. Explore Choquequirao, a jewel in the middle
of the Andes with amazing Inca architecture.
In the evening, you can see the Milky way together with your
guide. Distance traveled: 5.59 miles – Approximate time of walk: 8 hours,
reaching the highest point at 3,400 meters.
Day 3 Choquequirao - Marampata - Chiquisca
After a good breakfast, we are
going to start a trek of 5 hours
downhill until reach Playa Rosalina,
located at 1,500 meters above sea level. We will leave behind the Inca ruin of Choquequirao, also known as Cradle
of Gold.
Along the way we are going to pass
through different places such as Marampata
(2,870 meters), a small village with campsite areas and stores to buy food.
Then, we will reach Santa Rosa with
a high altitude of 1,914 meters.
Once upon arrive to Playa Rosalina
we are going to take a short rest and continue uphill, for one hour and a half,
until we reach Chiquisca. In this
place you will have a lovely lunch and spend the night.
In the afternoon you can enjoy a
well-deserved rest. It is better to stay here because of the warm and dry
weather and tomorrow we are going to wake up before sunrise. You can walk
around this place to admire local fauna
and flora.
Distance traveled: 11.18 miles –
Approximate time of walk: 6 hours.
Day 4 Chiquisca -
Capuliyoc - Cachora - Cusco
Very early in the morning we will leave Chiquisca
while you are having the last views of the canyon. Going uphill in a hike of 4 hours, we will reach Capuliyoc to have the last lunch here
at 2,885 meters (optional).
Capuliyoc
has an amazing viewpoint that shows wonderful views of the trek to Choquequirao, as well as snowcapped
peaks and the magnificent canyon. Choquequirao was built in 1536 during the Inca
Empire. It was declared as a National
Cultural Heritage.
Then, our transport will take you to Cusco, passing
through the Andean town of Cachora
first. It is going to be a 3-hour journey until reach the city of Cusco, to drop
you off at the hotel.