Overview
Choquequirao, is a lost city where the Incas took refuge from 1536. Located in the Vilcabamba Valley – La Convencion in the rainforest at 3300 meters above sea level. This archaeological center is considered as important as Machupicchu. The journey begins in the city of Cusco. After 145 km of asphalt road and 10 km of paved road we arrive to the town of Cachora, where the 32 km road starts, surrounded by imposing landscapes. On the way we can also appreciate the flora and fauna of the Apurimac Canyon, the deepest in the world, until we arrive to the “Golden Cradle” of the Incas. Choquequirao (from Quechua chuqi, gold, and k’iraw, cradle, that is: “cradle of gold”), are the archaeological remains of an Inca city located in the foothills of the Salkantay snow-capped mountain, under the jurisdiction of the district of Santa Teresa, Province of La Convención, Department of Cuzco, southern Peru. The archaeological monuments of Choquequirao are made up of buildings and terraces distributed at different levels, from the lowest level Sunch’u Pata to the highest truncated summit, which was leveled and enclosed with stones to form a platform with an approximate area of 150 square meters. Choquequirao (sometimes also known as Choqequirau or Choqekiraw) is known as the “sacred sister” of Machu Picchu because of its structural and architectural similarity to it. Recently, being partially excavated, it has awakened the interest of the Peruvian government to further recover the complex and make it a more accessible alternative for tourists interested in learning more about the Inca culture.