Highlights:
Huchuy Qosqo, which means "the little Cusco" in Quechua, is located north of the city of Cusco and is a little-visited but impressive archaeological site. Initially an administrative and military center near Pisac, it features a mix of Inca architecture with stone and adobe details. The trek takes you through ancient Inca paths, offering spectacular views of the Sacred Valley and snow-capped peaks. Additionally, you will be able to walk alongside llamas, explore storage colcas, and immerse yourself in Inca history with the guidance of local experts.
Today I will tell you about my experience of traveling with llamas, I will talk about my trip with the llamas and why they use them. Doing this trekking was one of the best experiences I could have had.
I started this tour leaving Cusco heading to Huchuy Qosqo, but before everything else, I hired the services of the Illapa Culturas Andinas agency, they gladly organized the whole trip for me and the nice thing is that we went as a group and this time I went with tourists from other countries.
Like all treks, we had to leave very early from the city of Cusco towards Chinchero, our transportation takes us here and we are always accompanied by our specialized guide who patiently led us to the archaeological site.
Well, before starting this trip, the guide indicates that we must bring the necessary things to do a one-day trek, among the instructions he mentioned were: wear comfortable, warm clothing and a waterproof jacket, it is necessary to have trekking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, carry water preferably in a canteen, walking sticks if necessary, and dried or fresh fruits.
At a certain point in the walk, we met the muleteers and from there the llamas accompanied us, from that moment on the trekking was different; the fact of living with these animals is an experience that gives you a whole therapy of joy, we learned about the life of llamas and the role they play in the Andean world since Inca times.
We walked for a few hours and finally arrived at Huchuy Qosqo and we toured each of the Inca constructions, here the guide explained to us in detail the function of each Inca remains, for example, we toured the agricultural terraces, plazas, courtyards, buildings, esplanade, etc.
But before that, we rested for a moment to eat our box lunch or snack, after resting for a while, we went to visit the archaeological center of Huchuy Qosqo.
On the way back, we come to the town of Lamay, through which we passed through steep paths and at all times we were accompanied by our friends, the llamas, it is fantastic to know their natural habitat, pass by small lakes, reach the highest peaks, and leave our wishes in the apachetas, it was definitely the best experience.
This is a new adventure that I recommend you do, without a doubt, the collaboration of the guide was very good and made this trip unforgettable, the company of the llamas was like reliving the past, the other members of the group were also great, I really had a great time and I take beautiful memories with me.
Our journey begins with pick-up at the hotel, which will be around 6:00 in the morning, to start our trip at 7:00 a.m. The transportation will take us to the first stop, the picturesque town of Chinchero, where we will admire the extensive fields that have been cultivated since ancient times.
Then we will pass along the edge of Piuray Lagoon and head towards the community of Tauca (3762 meters above sea level), where our exciting hike will begin.
But here something wonderful happens, a group of muleteers joins us so that from this place we start the trekking with the llamas towards Huchuy Qosqo, this will be a unique experience, and each of us commits to caring for nature, so if we have any waste, we store it in our disposable bags.
We will follow a dirt path with a gentle slope towards the Pucajasa pass (4393 meters above sea level), this point allows us to enjoy a spectacular view of the Urubamba mountain range. This pass is approximately 200 meters long, which would be the highest point of our journey.
From here we will begin the descent, but we will continue to explore paths of the ancient Inca trail and at the same time see the changes that have occurred in the ecological levels. We will arrive at Huchuy Qosqo (3688 meters above sea level) or also known as the "little Cusco", here we will stop to enjoy a pleasant snack during our journey, after a brief descent, we will explore the fascinating archaeological complex and finally descend to the charming town of Lamay (2938 meters above sea level). We end the tour by returning to the city of Cusco and then back to your hotel.
