Hiking to Huchuy Qosqo, an Inca refuge above the Sacred Valley

Six Months in South America, Part 13

Although classic hikes like the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu should be appreciated, I found that my favorite treks were to places I hadn’t heard of before coming to Perú. One of the best day hikes was to the Inca site Huchuy Qosqo, a strategic and spiritual refuge above the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

There are several options for a day trek to Huchuy Qosqo, a site about an hour from Cusco. The route I did is 12km (7.5 miles) and takes around six to eight hours. I went with Perseus, an Aymara guide and historian who explained about the cultural significance and nature surrounding the area. Percy was extremely knowledgeable about the region, and we had the entire site to ourselves. 

We started at a small mountain town near Cusco, climbed to around 4,410 meters (14,469 ft.) and then hiked down to Huchuy Qosqo. You can also do longer treks from Cusco’s city center, Tambomachay, Tauca, Calca, or Lamay.

We took a route that began in the mountains of Cusco, with views of the Cordillera Vilcanota mountains and the Sacred Valley of the Incas far below. Percy and I followed the trail along creeks and agricultural terraces, facing the Vilcanota River and the Urubamba mountain range, until we reached Pukamarca, the Red Village, a community living in traditional mud-brick homes. 

Here, we found the Inca Trail hidden by a narrow gully, with archeological remains, including water channels, ancient stairs, and bridges. 

Percy explained that the Inca had eight zones with distinct people groups and languages. The Aymara language, which Percy speaks, comes from the Lake Titicaca region. Meanwhile, Quechua comes from the Cusco region. 

During the hike, we came to the massive stone ruins of a gate. When you walk through a puerta into an Inca site, it’s like walking into the portal of another world, Percy said. Each puerta has a name, now lost to time. For example, the Gate of the Moon or Gate of the Sun. You walk through these doors with prayers and ceremony, paying tribute to the Emperor, who is the son of the Sun and other celestial deities, based on the moon, sun, mountains, rivers, and other natural wonders. 

We passed through the ruins of the puerta and then on to Huchuy Qosqo, an important tambo (strategic military and religious site) in the heights of the Sacred Valley. History says that this was the refuge of the 8th Inca emperor, Wiracocha, who was defeated by the Chancas after they invaded Cusco. Later, his son, the 9th emperor, beat the Chancas and recovered Cusco for the Inca. 

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the 9th Incan emperor, was the leader who truly transformed the Inca empire into the powerhouse it was to become, with Cusco at the center as the “Ombligo del Mundo.” Sacred Inca sites branch out from the city center like the rays of the sun, Percy said.

At the Huchuy Qosqo complex, there was a great sunken area that looked like a swimming pool, that the Inca filled with water and used as a giant astronomical mirror to observe the night skies. I heard from other guides that this is just one theory of how the pool was used, but it was incredibly cool to imagine people gazing at the night sky from their perch in the mountains. 

Inca buildings were built at a slant, to protect against earthquakes. Many of these ancient stone structures are still standing today while Spanish-built buildings have been destroyed by the elements. 

When I asked Percy why people don’t build their houses like the Inca anymore, he shrugged and said, buena pregunta, great question. What other ancient knowledge will we lose to time?

I toured Huchuy Qosqo close to May 3, an ancient holiday, La Fiesta de Las Cruces (Crosses). The symbol shown during the festival is the Southern Cross of the Inca, but it was later repurposed by the Catholic Church who wanted to Christianize the holiday. However, the old ways are still celebrated and held true by many Peruvians today. 

After visiting the citadel and enjoying the views, (we were the only people at the site that day) we descended to the village of Lamay in the Sacred Valley, had a quick coffee and victory beer, and then headed back to Cusco, while Perseus told me more about the history of the area. 

I definitely recommend reaching out to local guides when visiting Inca sites in Perú, it made the hike more exciting and memorable. You can find Perseus’s tour operator: La Base Lamay here.