The circuit Choquequiraw to Machu Picchu, is done through a remote Inca road that was used frequently in the time of the Incas to reach the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, with the Chinchaysuyo peoples of the northwest part of the Tawantinsuyo empire and the route would continue towards the antisuyo, exclusively the citadel of Choquequiraw, which becomes a control post which in the course of time was growing and becoming larger, undoubtedly a place of greater importance in political and administrative sense, probably with a lower religious category compared to Machu Picchu. However, this detail does not take away the dazzling charm that this citadel has on a rugged topography, located in the ecological floor of the jungle, sub tropical climate.
Cusco
05:30 am
We pick you up from the hotel in the city of Cusco at 5:30 a.m. heading towards the town of Capuliyoq, place where we will meet all the people who will accompany us during the whole walk (animals and muleteer), we will have a lunch in the sector of Chiquisca, in the camp of Santa Rosa Baja we will be able to enjoy the fruit that grows in this area as well as a refreshing bath.
We have breakfast and drink suddenly, descending for about an hour to Playa Rosalina (1550m). Here begins the difficult climb to the village of Marampata (2850m) from where we have beautiful views of the archaeological complex of Choquequirao. Soon we will arrive to our camp on the platforms of Choquequirao.
We walked around 7 hours today in a warmer climate.
This day we will start walking uphill until we reach 3,300 m / 10,827 ft. And then we will descend to the Blanco River (1,900 m / 6,234 ft). On the way we will go through a forest of clouds until we reach the archaeological site of Pinchaunuyoc, this is a very special archaeological group as it appears suddenly during the journey as well as looking like a forest cloudy covered with a thick layer of moss and vegetation. During the tour we will observe a variety of bird species, orchids and plantations of the sacred leaf – the Coca leaf at (2,750 m / 9,022 ft), after exploring this beautiful place we will cross the Blanco River and climb towards the Maizal sector (3,000 m / 9,842 ft) for an approximate 3 hours, this is where we will spend the night. Maybe this is one of the best camps during our trip since from here we can observe the 3 valleys and a spectacular snowy, besides being a good place to relax.
We will start the walk through the Paso de San Juan. Again we will ascend, observing landscapes with cloud forests and Andean straw. We will rest in the Victoria Mines, exploring the mineral remains that are still there. We will continue along a well preserved Inca road in the form of a zigzag. We will descend towards Yanama, having a view of the Choquetakarpo mountain. Camp and overnight.
We will continue ascending through the valley, until we reach the highest point of our trek (Paso Yanama), from where we will have a panoramic view of the snowy Sacsarayoc and we will be able to observe the flight of the condors (weather permitting). We will begin in descent, passing cloudy areas and crossing a small wooden bridge. We will arrive to the community of Totora, where we will camp. Overnight
We will ascend gently to the highest part of the entire route and then descend 200 meters through the changing vegetation towards a warmer camp in the town of La Playa (2,320 m / 7,611 ft). This tour will take us approximately 7 hours walking. During the road we will see small waterfalls where we can take a refreshing bath. As the climate and vegetation change, we will have the opportunity to see a wide variety of birds, orchids, plantations of coffee and bananas. The beach is the largest town on the road where we will spend the night.
This day will be our last day of hiking and we will head uphill for a period of 3 hours, until we reach 2,810 m / 9,219 ft. From here we will have an excellent view of Machu Picchu. After a good rest, we will go down to the Machu Picchu hydroelectric power station located on the Urubamba River, from where the road starts next to the railway line towards the town of Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu, this last night will rest in a hostel .
Early, we will go to Machupicchu, to observe the sunrise. Finally we will arrive at the citadel of Machu Picchu, where we will have a guided tour. In the afternoon, we will go down by bus to the train station in Aguas Calientes (lunch), from where we will take the train back to the city of Cusco. Transfer to your lodging. Overnight
