Choquequirao, the Inca city in the shadow of Machu Picchu

A refuge city forgotten in the history books

The forgotten citadel of Choquequirao lies hidden in the mountainous valley of Vilcabamba, in the southern Andes, in the department of Cuzco. Surrounded by an aura of mystery, the city that dominates the steep slopes of the Apurimac river was the last refuge of the Incas after the arrival of the Spanish in Peru in 1536, before being abandoned more than 400 years ago.

The citadel is said to have been built under the nature-loving Inca Pachacutec (1400-1471) and linked to the sanctuaries of Vilcabamba and Machu Picchu. It is thought to have housed at least a thousand people, including the Inca's family, soldiers, priests, craftsmen and peasants.

It was French explorers who first "rediscovered" the city of Choquequirao in the 19th century. Archaeologists then set about restoring it, wall by wall, until the stones of this city, choked by the semi-tropical forest, were brought back to life.

The explorers who set off in search of this lost city, steeped in the legends of the Apus (the mountain gods who, according to the Incas of Cuzco, gave off vital energy), were attracted by the mystery of an Inca sanctuary that was difficult to access, at an altitude of over 3,000 metres, and which the Quechuas had nicknamed the "Cradle of Gold".

A treasure waiting to be discovered

Little-known to the public until now, the city of Choquequirao is surprisingly large, covering almost 2,000 hectares. In the morning, the citadel awakens in the mist. The ghostly ruins gradually emerge from the clouds. The platforms used to worship the ancestors and the sun are revealed and the ancient agricultural terraces appear on a 65-degree slope, followed by the central square. The palaces and temples complete this superb picture.

In the upper part of the main square, you can see the main thread running through the Inca organisation: a hydraulic system fed by the springs in the valley, which runs from the "llamas" to the waterfall area.

The "llamas", nicknamed "llamas of the sun", are one of the major discoveries at Choquequirao: 23 stone llamas decorate the walls of the 130 terraces on the site, a first in the world of Inca archaeology. Theories abound, but for the time being, the "mystery of the llamas of the sun" remains.

It's time for adventure!

Unlike Machu Picchu, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists a year, Choquequirao is accessible only to adventure tourism enthusiasts. Located 160 kilometres from Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire, and perched at an altitude of 3,100 metres, Choquequirao was built on a ridge surrounded by snow-capped peaks topping 5,000 metres: getting there has to be earned.

Motivated tourists can walk for two days along mule tracks, often on mountainsides, to reach the ancient city, which lay dormant under vegetation for centuries. Along the way, travellers are treated to sublime landscapes: views of the Apurimac river, jungles and deserts follow one another before the snow-capped peak of Salkantay comes into view. At the end of the route, lucky hikers will be able to admire the flight of condors at sunset.

Which route should I take?

The trek begins in the village of Cachora, a 4-hour bus ride from Cuzco. From there, a 9-kilometre flat trail takes hikers up to the Capuliyoc pass. The trail then descends steeply (-1500 metres over 12 kilometres!) to the river, where a small campsite provides an overnight stop. Anyone who has forgotten to take mosquito repellent should continue for another 3 kilometres to the Santa Rosa campsite.

After the 24 kilometres of the previous day, the 10 kilometres of the second day's trek may not seem like much... but the trail climbs straight up to Choquequirao, with 1000 metres of positive difference in altitude! The effort is soon forgotten, however, as the ruins of the Inca city come into view.

To return, you have to take the same route in the opposite direction (another little effort!), but the most experienced hikers can push all the way to Machu Picchu! All the same, it's an extra 5 days' walk.

How can you organise your trip?

It's perfectly possible to do the Choquequirao trek on your own (i.e. without an agency, but at least two people are required for safety reasons). Campsites have been set up at the various stages - there's even one at Choquequirao! - and local people sell food along the way for a few soles. Of course, you still need to bring something to eat and drink!

We're not going to lie to you, the trek is very physical, even if mules and their muleteers can help some walkers who are having difficulty. The easiest way to avoid taking on too much (and not taking any risks!) is to go through an agency, which will take care of all the organisation.

Only a few thousand tourists visit Choquequirao each year, compared with over a million for Machu Picchu. So you can imagine that the experience is totally different! Whereas you have to arrive at dawn to be able to enjoy Machu Picchu without too many tourists, here you wander alone in the middle of the ruins, the silence disturbed only by the sound of the wind...

Although only 40% of the Choquequirao site has been excavated to date, archaeologists are working tirelessly to bring the citadel out of the ground. The ultimate aim will be to make the Inca city accessible to all, and rumours of a cable car linking the village of Kiuñalla to Choquequirao in just 15 minutes are growing louder by the minute. However, no date has yet been set, so you can still plan your trek with the assurance of a peaceful visit. The less sporty among us will have to wait for the inauguration of the cable car!