Blogs from Choquequirao, Cusco, Peru, South America

Read my article about Choquequirao on Matador Network ! The most important things to know about Choquequirao are that it is much bigger than Machu Picchu and that the trail to get there is very steep and has significant elevation change. (This blog and many more photos are on my website https://heatherjasper.com ). The Choquequirao ruins are all of the things you want in an archeological site: beautiful, mysterious, extensive, unique, fascinating, etc. They have been classified successively as a fortress, a ceremonial center, a city and the last residence of the Inca. In my opinion, the most important aspect is that they were never discovered by the Spanish during the decades of conquest. I was very disappointed to hear from local families that they have be... read more

Machu Picchu may well be firmly on the tourist map, but the Inca heartland around Cusco is scattered with ancient, lost cities as isolated today as they ever were. No trains, no hordes, no hotels, no restaurants here... The ruins of Choquequirao are one such place - a huge complex built, once again, high on mountain saddle at over 3,000 metres altitude (the Incas obviously didn't like building "easy" stuff...). The complex is as large as, if not larger than, Machu Picchu, and it has been only partially excavated and restored. Getting to Choquequirao is not the simplest of tasks, and although some very hardy souls attempt the 62 kilometre, four-day return trek by themselves, it's easier to join a group from Cusco. Demand is so low that getting a group together can be something of ... read more

Après deux journées d'intense préparation à Cuzco, nous sommes enfin prêts pour attaquer les neufs jours de marche qui nous mèneront au pied des célèbres ruines de l'ancienne cité Inca de Machu Picchu. Nous avons choisi de suivre un chemin de randonnée différent du sentier de référence appelé "l'Inca Trail", très prisé des randonneurs étrangers, qui passent par une agence de voyage et payent plusieurs centaines de dollars américains pour marcher le long de différentes ruines pendant quatre jours, le tout accompagnés d'un guide obligatoire, de cuistos, de plusieurs muletiers... Grâce aux précieux conseils d'une excellente association de randonneurs appelée "South American Explorers" (SAE) basée à Cuzco, nous montons notre petite expédition vers le Machu Picchu en décidant de faire route par la vallée de l'Apurimac et des ruines de l'ancienne cité Inca de Choquequirao. L'association ... read more

After our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu both Barry and I were feeling fit and ready for another challenge. When visiting the Inca Museum in Cusco we came across an exhibition on Choquequirao, said to be a "sister city" of Machu Picchu. We also read that it was a tough trek to get there but well worth the effort as the site is as impressive as Machu Picchu but receives a small fraction of the number of visitors. This was enough to whet our appetites and so, a few agencies later, we had booked ourselves onto a 4 day trek to visit the ruins. We had decided to go with an agency (Cusqueñan Tours) that gave us a cheap price and we liked the idea of our bags and equipment all being carried for us and ... read more