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Some cultural short treks close to Cusco
One Day Cultural Treks Around Cusco
CULTURAL HUCHUY QOSQO TREK (1 DAY)
This is asix to eight-hour hike for a moderate adventure crossing a seldom visited part of the Andes, where life looks almost the same as it was centuries ago. You would never think that something like this can be found so close to Cusco: impressive deep gorges and wide grasslands where lama herds will be frequently met, Indian villages with no traces of “modernity”, deep blue lakes and snow covered mountains all around the horizon, and quite unknown Inka ruins in a beautiful panoramic setting.
At 6:30 am we leave forChinchero to start hiking in the morning and capture the sunlight on MountVeronica and the Vilcabamba range. The rather smooth walk is first uphill, then over the altiplano overlooking beautiful lakes and the snow capped mountains and ranges all around.
In this particular area, we seldom meet with other wandering tourists, almost only with Andean people working on their fields, with their herds of lamas and alpacas and their children playing in their adobe houses.
After reaching the highest point in Tres Apachetas (4300 m) we slowly descend to the Pukamarka Indian village and Inka ruins. After enjoying the place we continue along the impressive Leonpunko canyon to finally reach the Inka ruins of the Huchuyqosqo citadel in a six-hour hike. These ruins are in some cases two story high Inca structures made of stone and adobe (mud-bricks).
The beauty of these ruins is that they are built almost on top of a steep mountain slope overlooking the Urubamba valley far below, with some fine made Inca buildings, temples and terraces, and streams running on either side.
We continue our trek leaving the ruins behind and begin the zigzag trail down the face of the mountain, until we arrive to the Urubamba river and after crossing the bridge we meet our vehicle in the Lamay village which will take us back to Cusco in the early evening. So if you want to enjoy a cultural experiences as well as a great hike, this is the one day hike for you.