What Choquequirao Is Like, Peru’s ‘Other Machu Picchu’, And Why It’s Not Well Known Or Visited

When asked about the most famous monument in Peru, Machu Picchu is the first name that comes to mind.

The ruins of this ancient Inca citadel are a symbol of the country and are visited every year by hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world.

But despite widespread belief, Machu Picchu is not one of a kind.

In another place in the department of Cusco, also on the heights of the Andes, is the archaeological site of Choquequirao, similar Inca ruins, but much less known and visited.

Some call it ‘the other Machu Picchu’. Others describe it as ‘the little sister of Machu Picchu’. If so, she still has much less fame than her older sister.

While the facilities to reach Machu Picchu are so numerous that it has become a huge tourist destination, Choquequirao is much more demanding for the traveler who wants to know its secrets.

This is his story.

High-altitude tour

Hidden in a remote area of ​​the Andes Mountains, the Citadel of Choquequirao requires time and effort from anyone who wants to visit it. And that is it all routes to it take at least two or three days on foot.

You need to fly to Cusco and from there drive several hours by road to the town of Capuliyoc. Most people who dare to know begin their journey there.

Some physical and mental preparation is necessary, as the route passes through the Cusco Mountains, more than 3,000 meters above sea level, where temperatures can be very cold at certain times of the year, with the possibility of soroche episodes. , as the Peruvians know altitude sickness.

The rugged terrain, crossed by obstacles such as the Apurímac River or the snow-covered Padreyoc, makes this route very popular with hiking enthusiasts, but also a route that recommends take certain precautions before you dare with her.

Some locals offer their services to escort strangers and mules with which to transport their supplies during the climb.

Those who have done it assure that the effort is worth it.

Guillaume Flor, a Frenchman who visited Choquequirao with his family, told BBC Mundo that “it was an extraordinary experience.”

“Choquequirao is a magical place where you can admire the architecture of the Incas. It is smaller than Machu Picchu, but the presence of so many tourists there kind of negates the magic. When we went there were no more than ten people in Choquequirao.”

Last focus of resistance

Archaeologists estimate that the Choquequirao complex was built around the year 1450.

Pieter Van Dalen, an expert in Inca culture at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, told BBC Mundo that “it was built at the height of Inca power, when attempts were made to replicate it in all areas of the empire that the Incas had known. had founded settlements, which subjugated other cities, similar to that of Cusco, the capital of the Incas and the center of their world.”

It is not known what exactly Choquequirao’s function was, but it is believed to have had a religious dimension and it is speculated that it served to connect Machu Picchu and other strategic sites for the Incas to the Amazon.

Its difficult access has also fueled the theory that Choquequirao may have been one of the last strongholds of Inca resistance against the Spanish conquerors in the early decades of the 16th century.

What is clear from its complexity, its proximity to Cusco and its size, over 522,000 hectares, is that it must have been a place of importance to the Incas.

Van Dalen points out that “Choquequirao could have had about 2,000 inhabitants. the majority moved there from other places in the Inca Empire to carry out agricultural, administrative or other tasks.”

With the Spanish conquest and the subsequent collapse of the Inca Empire, Choquequirao was abandoned.

Archaeological excavations were carried out there until 1993, which saved it from oblivion and allowed the appreciation of 60% of the architectural remains found, according to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.

Today the site is shown to the visitor, divided into twelve sectors, in which the structures and buildings left behind by the Incas can be found in good condition.

Among them, the so-called priest’s dwelling stands out; the main houses with access to the square, where probably the notables of the place lived; or the Andenes de las Llamas, stepped structures that preserve images of the camelids so characteristic of the Peruvian Andes.

Three kilometers from the archaeological park is the hamlet of Marampata, the nearest populated center and home to about 40 families who live off what they grow and the tourists who flock to the place, about 9,800 a year according to official data.

In 2022 alone, Machu Picchu received more than a million, which has encouraged voices that question whether its overexploitation by tourists has reached the point where its conservation is at risk.

For the time being, the company around Choquequirao will remain small-scale and in the hands of the local population.

Nancy Tapia is one of those who has found a source of income as a tourist guide.

“A lot of people come from other places in Peru, but also foreigners from all over the world,” he told BBC Mundo. Official records indicate that the majority of visitors are French.

Wherever they come from, says Tapia, “they are often impressed by the walk and the environment.”

And it’s not just the stones and the solitude that make this a special place. The imposing landscape around it and the solitude create an atmosphere much appreciated by lovers of adventure tourism and escaping the conventional.

The controversy

Dina Boluarte’s government has plans to facilitate the arrival of tourists to this remote place.

Last April, the President of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola, announced the executive’s intention to resume an old project, namely the construction of a funicular that will allow you to reach Choquequirao comfortably in about 30 minutes, much less than the few days of laborious walking. that would be necessary at the moment.

The president stated in August that she wanted the system to be operational as early as 2024.

Facilitating the arrival of tourists could boost the economy in a wild and undeveloped area of ​​Peru, but The planned cable car has led to conflict between different populations demanding that it be included in the route to take advantage of the development and influx of visitors..

The construction of the cable car would cover the territory of the department of Cusco and neighboring Apurímac, but Cusco regional governor Werner Salcedo recently expressed his rejection of the current project.

In a country accustomed to social conflicts around the exploitation of its resources and the construction of infrastructure, it will be difficult to move the initiative forward without agreement between all parties.

Maybe bad news for local communities eager to receive tourism money; but for fans of exploring the paths less traveled, the peace of mind that the destination will retain its original romance for some time to come.