CHOQUEKIRAO, CHOQUEQUIRAO, CHOQEQUIRAU, CHOQUEKIRAW OR CHOQUEKIRAU

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If you want to experience a completely different experience, feel the magic and mystery, it's best to schedule an adventure to Choquequirao with Perú Mysteries in your calendar.

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The archaeological city of Choquequirao was hidden from humankind for almost four centuries, a place that remains mysterious to archaeologists, researchers, curious, and people in general who choose to visit this area. What is certain is that this Cradle of Gold has become a favorite for adventure and hiking enthusiasts due to the challenge of reaching it and trying to discover and understand the ancient secrets held in every corner of its citadel.

 

Many wonder why reaching Choquequirao is considered a challenge? Well, the answer is quite simple: only those who are physically and mentally prepared can undertake this adventure; transportation is not allowed. All routes to Choquequirao are done on foot, on excursions that take three or four days, with Cusco's climate and altitude making this route a bit more complicated.

 

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:

Choquequirao, the Cradle of Gold, is not far from Machu Picchu (its sister, its family). Both are located in the Cusco region: Choquequirao in the province of La Convención, in the district of Santa Teresa, and Machu Picchu in the province of Urubamba, both in the southern Peruvian Andes. The Inca citadel of Choquequirao is located at 13°32′ south latitude and 72°44′ west longitude, at an altitude of 3,033 meters above sea level, in the foothills of the Salcantay snow-capped mountain, north of the Apurímac River valley.

 

STRATEGIC POSITION:

From an Andean perspective, its location is undoubtedly strategic, allowing this unique settlement to encompass and dominate what could be considered one of the most extraordinary altitudinal ranges in the country. From the air, researchers say that Choquequirao appears like a large open book, with the mighty Apurímac River at its feet and a large mountain range descending toward the eastern slopes covered in immense tropical vegetation; another example of the Andean ambition to dominate the world from above.

 

CHOQUEQUIRAO CLIMATE:

Due to its altitude (3,033 meters above sea level), the Choquequirao archaeological site enjoys a temperate climate with cool nights. However, it should be noted that the road leading to Choquequirao is warm due to the Apurímac canyon. The temperature at the archaeological site varies between 5°C and 25°C.

 

FLORA AND FAUNA IN CHOQUEQUIRAO:

The Choquequirao area is one of the richest in biodiversity, as biologists, ecologists, and experts point out. Many species have adapted despite temperature variations, such as strong sunlight during the day and harsh frosts at night. The local fauna is primarily composed of condors, deers, vizcachas, foxes, skunks, pumas, hummingbirds, bears, and the cock-of-the-rock (Peru's national bird).

 

Its flora includes giant ferns (very ancient plants), ichu, and a wide variety of orchids, most notably the wakanki variety. At the bottom of the great valley and under the thermal effect of the watercourse that runs through it, the forests provide warmth and conditions for a huge variety of crops such as achiote, corn, cacao, coffee, and fruit trees. From an environmental perspective, these lush forests growing in the highlands play a role in maintaining the region's water balance, capturing rainwater and channeling it toward the Apurimac River without causing erosion.

 

HISTORY:

During the Inca Period (1,438–1,534), this citadel was a religious and cultural center for the Andean region. This citadel was presumably also used as a checkpoint to secure access to the Vilcabamba area, which connected it with other important centers such as Písac and Machu Picchu. It is also believed that Choquequirao played an important role, serving as a link between the imperial city of Cusco and the Amazon rainforest.

 

Transitional Period (1,534–1,572). During this period, Choquequirao is considered one of the last bastions of resistance and refuge for the Incas. On the orders of Manco Inca, they abandoned the city of Cusco to seek refuge in the cities of the Vilcabamba region when Cusco was besieged by the Spanish around 1,535. It was here (and throughout the Vilcabamba Valley in general) that Manco Inca and the other Incas of Vilcabamba resisted the Spanish onslaught until the capture and execution of Túpac Amaru I in 1,572.

 

References from the colonial era: The first explorer to report a citadel called "Chuquiquirau" was the Spanish explorer Juan Arias Díaz Topete in 1,710. The first written reference to Choquequirao dates back to 1,768 and was authored by Cosme Bueno; however, the documentation was set aside and forgotten by the authorities and the general public. In 1,790, Pablo José Origaín mentioned in his "Compendium of Geographical News of Cuzco" a city uninhabited since ancient times by the name of Choquequirau.

 

Rediscovery and restoration: In 1,834, José María Tejada (Prefect of Cusco) traveled to the citadel, attracted by legends about treasures in Vilcabamba. Similarly, in 1,837, Leonce Angrand mapped the site for the first time, but his maps were also forgotten. It wasn't until 1,909, when archaeologist Hiram Bingham and surveyor Clarence Hay (both Americans) visited Choquequirao and prepared a detailed description of the site, that the citadel received greater attention from archaeologists, the government, and tourists. The first excavations began several decades after Bingham's visit, around 1,970; Intensive studies and a site restoration plan were launched in 1,986. Currently, it is estimated that only 40% of the complex, which covers approximately 1,810 hectares, has been unearthed and put into use as a tourist area.

 

ARCHITECTURE:

From the lowest level of Sunch'u Pata to the highest truncated peak, from an aerial view or from a distance, it is easy to distinguish the typical Inca terraces that make up the largest structures. Choquequirao features multiple two-story buildings with interior niches. In addition to some doorways and niches made with double jambs and irrigation channels, the material used is faced stone with mud mortar. Choquequirao has an extensive system of terraces, a characteristic of Inca settlements, which aided the agricultural use of the hillsides and which, to the visitor's eye, now resemble floors carpeted with the area's vegetation. According to archaeologist Luis Guillermo Lumbreras, Choquequirao gives the impression of having been a growing urban center, part of a much larger project that remained unfinished.

 

The architectural features indicate that Choquequirao is an imminently Inca citadel. That is, it was not built on the foundations of a predecessor culture. It emerged with the expansion of the Inca Empire, presumably in the 15th century (1,450). Most researchers agree that it was built as an administrative control post for the surrounding territories (Machu Picchu). Towards the outskirts of the citadel center, the rooms used by the rest of the population stand out, clustered together to form a small village. In Choquequirao, there are numerous irrigation canals and aqueducts for water supply. Despite the weather and inclement weather, most of the buildings are well preserved.

 

Although only 40 percent of the complex has been recovered, it is possible to assume that Choquequirao was more of a religious or control site than a fortress. Due to its location, it is likely that it was a very important religious, political, and economic center, occupied by priests and those dedicated to the deities (it served as a commercial and cultural link between the coast, mountains, and jungle). Paintings and cemeteries have been found that confirm this theory. Choquequirao is organized into nine zones or sectors built like small villages around a large plaza where all the roads from each zone meet. These include the political and religious center, the system of fountains and canals with aqueducts, and the group of portals. Some of the sectors of Choquequirao are:

 

1. Main Plaza – The main plaza or Huaqaypata divided the area into two: the upper part (Hanan) and the lower part (Hurin). It served as the main meeting point and religious ceremonies. It is built in a quadrangular shape and has several doors and stairways for entry. On the sides there are enclosures as well as kallankas and other buildings. Colcas – These buildings were intended to serve as food storage. In Choquequirao, there are several that have additional divisions. It is believed that Choquequirao was a self-sufficient city, meaning it lived off the production of its land and did not need any support from outside its walls.
2. Terraces – Choquequirao has a significant number of terraces used for cultivation. In the western sector, there are 22 flame-shaped carvings arranged on 15 terraces. These figures are known as the "Flames of the Sun," pointing toward the Qori-Hauyrachina snow-capped mountain.
3. Enclosures or Dwellings – Throughout Choquequirao, there are quadrangular, residential enclosures made of granite. The most important are the group of two buildings in the upper part of Choquequirao, next to a small plaza. These enclosures would have housed the most important priests of the area. In the lower part, there were the popular enclosures known as "Pikiwasi."
4. Inca Cemetery – This building near a plaza is also known as the “Triumphal Wall” or “The Wall of Offering to the Ancestors.” This wall has up to five portals where unpretentious funerary bundles were found. The enclosure also has water channels. Many researchers believe it was an Inca cemetery for important figures from the site.
5. Kallankas – These rectangular buildings had multiple functions, such as workshops, administrative centers, meeting spaces, etc. In Choquequirao, there are two kallankas whose walls had gutters that supplied water. The most famous of all was the so-called “Sunturwasi,” which had been used for religious purposes.
6. Ushnu – This oval platform-shaped construction is located on top of a hill. Due to the surrounding wall and the privileged views of the snow-capped mountains, the river, and the entire enclosure, it is believed to have had a religious purpose.

 

ACCESS METHODS:

The only way to reach Choquequirao is by land. An important access route is to leave Cusco by taking the highway toward Abancay, and at km 154, take the detour that leads to the town of Cachora (2,903 meters above sea level). Alternatively, you can leave Abancay and travel 42 km along the highway toward Cusco, then turn off toward Cachora. From this location, you must hike approximately 32 km. It is also possible to access the site through other nearby towns; however, the route may be more rugged.

 

There is currently a project that could exponentially increase visits to this archaeological site: a cable car that would reduce travel time to Choquequirao.

 

INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW:

1. There is a shorter version of the Choquequirao hike that lasts only 3 days. There is also an 8-day route that, after visiting Choquequirao, continues through the mountains and jungle of Cusco to reach Machu Picchu. This last route covers a total of 115 kilometers.
2. The trail to Choquequirao represents an incredible personal challenge, a circuit that is three times more demanding than the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, as you descend one slope one day and climb another the next, and then have to return. But the effort is richly rewarded thanks to the stunning scenic views offered by the Apurimac Canyon.
3. Tourists don't arrive at Choquequirao on comfortable trains, but rather true adventurers, who after days of exhausting trekking, encounter the mysterious silence of this Cradle of Gold. While in Machu Picchu (Machu Picchu) you struggle with almost 2,500 tourists a day to take the perfect photo, in Choquequirao you struggle with approximately 30 people a day during peak season, making this complex the true lost city of the Incas. Surely, in a few years, it will welcome thousands of visitors.
4. The best time to travel is between April and October. Choquequirao has two distinct seasons:

• Rainy season (November to March): characterized by frequent rainfall. The sun is not as intense, but rain can be detrimental to the hike.
• Dry season (April to October): characterized by less frequent rainfall. The days are hotter and the nights are colder. However, the low chance of rain makes the hike more favorable.

1. It's important to mention that, to lighten your load, there are mules that can carry your backpack.

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE TRIP TO CHOQUEQUIRAO:

 

What is the best time to go to Choquequirao?

According to the tour guides who run the route, the Choquequirao hike can be made from April to November when clear skies are ideal for this adventure.

 

When is the worst time to visit Choquequirao?

During the rainy season, the hike to Choquequirao becomes more difficult due to the rains that can occur at any time of day. The rainiest months are January, February, and March.

 

Is the trip to Choquequirao dangerous?

The route to Choquequirao is safe. However, due to the difficulty of the trails, it is recommended to be in good physical condition. This will make the hike much safer.

 

At Perú Mysteries, we have three alternatives: the classic 4-day hike, a faster 3-day hike, and a longer 8-day hike connecting Choquequirao with Machu Picchu.

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CHOQUEKIRAO MAP - PERU MYSTERIES

 

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PHOTOS - CHOQUEQUIRAO - PERU MYSTERIES!!!