December 2025
Eline had been lobbying for a visit to Peru for a long time. Each time however I persuaded her to visit some place in the Himalaya instead. Now at last the time was there!
She opted to go to the Choquequirao and Huayhuash trek, combining two major classic treks in Peru. One exploring the cultural heritage of the Inca and one the beauty of the snow capped Andes.
The Choquequirao trek visits the likewise called Choquequirao Inca ruins. An impressive old Inca city, sometimes referred to as Machu Pichu’s sister city. Choquequirao is located on a steep cliff and only reachable on foot. It is an impressive and steep hike to get out there. It is only about 32 kilometers one way, but due to the challenging terrain it does take two full days of hiking. Due to the elevation differences this short trek somehow manages to get you through jungles, desserts, villages and over a major river to an ancient ruin you are likely to have all for yourself.
The trek seems to have really developed over the last year and a lot of picturesque cabin accommodation and restaurants have popped up along the trail. Maybe in the peak season (July and August) this can make the trek feel a bit too touristy, but in the down season (December to February) it, at least for us personally, enhanced the experience.
I would not be me of course if I would not try to spice up the route a bit. You can make a nice circuit hike to Choquequirao, but it is also possible to continue on from Choquiquirao to Yannama and Vitcos (and even onto Esperitu pampa) providing a more long distance experience along some of Peru’s best preserved Inca sights. The trek beyond Choquequirao is still very mucy a camping trek with a refill option at Yannama.
Season
The best season for this trek is the dry season from may to September, but we experienced December to be a perfect month. We did have some rain during the nights and some more cloudy moments, but overall the sun was up, the views were great and the trails fine. The only problem we encountered was that the accommodation in Maizal was closed down for the season forcing us to camp and cook ourselves.
Day 1
We had opted to go to the start of the trek immediately from the airport in Cusco. A touring company offering private transport picked us up and still a bit drowsy due to the time difference we got on our way to the town Cachora, the gateway to Choquequirao.
The way there made us feel optimistic. The sun was out and we had nice views over the Andes, including the Salkantey. There was little that suggested it to be the rainy season. Our driver explained to us, that the rains used to be worse during this time of year, but that due to the changing climate the rainy season had become considerably less rainy in the recent decade.
The road was sealed and in excellent condition and the going was quick. Nonetheless it was quite a distance to cover and the driver had taken his wife with him so that they could be sure to have their Christmas dinner together.
To reach Cachora we had te leave the main road and follow a winding dirt track. From Cachora it was only a few kilometers more to Capulliyoc over a quickly deteriorating road.
Capulliyoc felt like a small paradise. Located right on the edge of a cliff it overlooked the valley and the snow capped mountains on the other side. Capulliyoc had some amazing cabins and we decided that it would just be a waste to continue hiking the same day and not to spent the rest of the day here (and more importantly a night in a cute cabin).
Last frontiers on foot 