Choquequirao – the Real Lost City of the Inca

Choquequirao: 3030 m altitude, 60 km round-trip over 5 days, transport: none, terrain: gorgeous.

Choquequirao was actually first discovered way before Machu Picchu. However, it is less preserved and the excavation works are more recent. To date, only about 30% of it has been recovered – mainly the top (and most important) part. The slopes are still largely buried. How does it compare to Machu Picchu, I hear you ask. Well, it doesn’t. They are different cities altogether. Choquequirao is built very differently, more conventionally. Palaces, religious structures, living quarters and military constructions surround the ample main square. Many of the buildings are 2-3 stories. The city is dominated by a magnificent ceremonial hill with the top chopped off and turned into a religious arena and an observatory (6 of the peaks and 2 of the rivers sacred to the Inca can be viewed from here). The slopes hold a vast number of structures, from simple shacks to well-preserved large agricultural terraces. The overall area covered by Choquequirao is 1810 hectares, much bigger than that of Machu Picchu.

Choquequirao is more than just a pretty face. They call it a sister of Machu Picchu, I would call it a brother. While the Virgins of the Moon were dancing around in MP, Choquequirao kept everyone fed and safe – it was the administrative, military and economic centre of the whole area, as well as a bearer of a strong religious significance. Choquequirao is where the remnants of the Inca had their last days. The archaeological work here is slow due to inaccessibility and low funding, but it seems that what they do find makes Choquequirao more and more significant every year.

Choquequirao is a genuinely lost city. Harshly inaccessible from either side, it is no wonder it never got discovered (even in our days of New-age Machu Picchu worship). This little corner of paradise is firmly locked by the guardian mountains. They isolate this spot from the whole world, like a ring a soundproof padding. There is only the low-flying condor and the rainbow reaching the city from the bottom of the valley. We could almost touch that rainbow.

But that’s still not the best thing about Choquequirao. Lost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by silent mountains, it was absolutely empty. And with that comes freedom. There was an invisible team of archaeologists somewhere, my guide Victor, Felipe and Rolando (two Austrian guys I came with), and an English / Peruvian explorer with his loyal Sancho Panza. Yet it was still the end of the high season. No ticket booth, no security, no supervision, not even a toilet. It was all up to our ethics. We were not on a tour, we were guests here – the camping ground was on one of the terraces. We wandered wherever we wanted (respecting the archaeological restrictions), day or night. Choque is particularly magic after nightfall, if you have the guts. It’s not for the faint-hearted to walk around the ruins surrounded by wilderness, hearing whispers of ghosts and wondering which sacred grounds you are trespassing.

The reason we could have a Lost City all to ourselves was because there was no train. You had to beat the trail for two days, and it was not all a Sunday promenade.

The starting point is Cachora, a charming sleepy village at the bottom of a valley. A bus from Cuzco drops you off just before it gets to Abancay. You have to spiral downwards for two hours to get to the village.

Once there, things are easy to find. Cachora is the mule depot of the mountain range. A guide will cost you 20 peruvian soles per day, and you can also hire a mule at the same price – whether for yourself or for your stuff.

The first day is a gradual shedding of civilisation. For three hours or so it is a leisurely promenade on a wide flat trail amongst serene and stunning mountain views. Later, the soil changed from grey rocks to red powder and you descend into the Apurimac river valley, where you stay overnight on a camping ground.

Next day is harder. After crossing the Apurimac river you ascend an almost vertical wall for 3 hours on a zigzagging trail. After a short rest at Santa Rosa settlement, you carry on ascending for another two hours until you reach the top. You can choose to carry on straight to Choquequirao (a two hour hike, although the gradient is gentler) or camp by the huts and hike in the morning.

Notes

This trek took place in August 2002. There have been some changes, although minor. The entry to Choquequirao is now purchased at 10 soles, this lasts you as long as you want. The camping on the terrace now includes toilets and an emergency line with Cachora. The destination is also getting more popular, although still far from crowded: in the high season of July / August 2005 there were an average of 50 visitors on site plus about the same number en route at any time. Hurry before they build a railway! The trek can be completed in 4 days if needed, but you only get 1 hour on site: you carry on straight to Choquequirao on your 2nd day, have a tour in the morning and set off, arriving to the Apurimac river crossing by night. For any treks to Choquequirao make sure you have adequate footwear and you are accustomed to the altitude: that second day will get you sweating and your ankles twisting.

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