Chaquicocha Perú (possibly from Quechua ch'aki dry, qucha lake, "dry lake", Hispanicized spelling Chaquicocha) is a 4,895-metre-high (16,060 ft) mountain at a little lake of that name in the Urubamba mountain range in the Andes of Peru. It is located in the Cusco Region, Calca Province, Calca District, and in the Urubamba Province, in the districts of Huayllabamba and Yucay. It lies southwest of Huamanchoque and southeast of Chicon.
The lake named Chaquicocha Perú is in the Yucay District south of the mountain at 13°16′40″S 72°03′01″W. It is about 8 m (26 ft) deep and its area is about two ha. Like Yanacocha ("black lake") south of it Chaquicocha Perú is surrounded by woods of queñua or quewiña.
The Chaquicocha altitud is 3,650 meters above sea level. It is recommended to acclimatize to Chaquicocha altitud arriving 2 days before to Cusco.
Walking time: 07 hours.
On the way from the Inca Trail tours to Machu Picchu, there are camping areas, duly marked, coded, indicated and delimited.
The second night the camp is the Chaquicocha campsite (3600 masl), 16 kilometers from Ayapata, with spectacular views of the Peruvian Andes, where we will have dinner and spend the night in tents or tents. The Chaquicocha campsite is one of the most picturesque although frigid, with a fantastic view of the night sky to observe the stars.
Along the way, there are basic hygienic services for public use and are duly marked.
In the camps you can find basic hygiene services. And in the last camp you can find basic showers. Travel agency will provide you with the facilities of the case, for your personal hygiene.
In the camping areas, you do not have electricity or a cellular network, so it is recommended that you take the necessary precautions. Bring a personal flashlight, charge your batteries in advance and be ready to enjoy a starry sky and depending on the day you will have the light of the full moon.
The camping areas are permanently protected by the guards, you will be safe, without annoying noises. The surveillance staff will be in charge of controlling any risk that may arise.
In the camps, remember that there should be no trace of your passage, do not leave traces of your stay, all the garbage must be delivered to the agency staff, have your own garbage bag and when you finish the walk, deliver it; the support staff will be in charge of selecting organic and inorganic solid waste and removing it from the Inca Trail.
Do not tread on mosses, die quickly, do not pluck flowers, leaves, branches, etc. If any animal visits it, do not approach it, do not disturb it, observe from afar and thank, good luck to see it.
Do not leave food residues, scattered, on the floor, apart from dirtying the camping site, it can alter the natural diet of wildlife.
If any waste is found, that has been left by someone else, please collect it and deliver it to the agency staff, it will be an action, that all the walkers will thank you, because they will be collaborating, with the maintenance of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu will be an activist to avoid the environmental impact in this natural and cultural historical attraction.
The Inca Trail is considered the best trek in South America. It is a 43-kilometer route through ancient Inca trails to Machu Picchu. The duration of the tour is 4 days and 3 nights. Tourists have the opportunity to appreciate the scenic beauty with Inca archaeological sites including the Wonder of the World.
The Incas covered much of the South American continent. To maintain communication in such a vast territory, it was necessary to build a network of roads. Thus, the Inca ordered to build a network of roads called Qhapac Ñan (Inca Trail).
The Qhapac Ñan managed to cover up to 30 thousand kilometers from the current countries of Peru, Ecuador and part of Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. The trekking route from the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is only a small part of the extensive network of roads of the Qhapac Ñan.
The Inca Trail was revealed to the world in 1915 when it was being excavated in the Inca City. Three decades later, the route was traced by the Viking expedition in 1942. Today, thousands of visitors decide to travel the 43 kilometers to the 'Puerta del Sol' in Machu Picchu.
However, Machu Picchu is not the only archaeological site that you will see on the Inca Trail. On the tour you will also appreciate the ruins of Llactapata, the archaeological site of Runkurakay, Saycamarca, Phuyupatamarca and Wiñaywayna.
Not all people have the days necessary to travel the Inca Trail (4 days and 3 nights). That is why there are different versions of cheap inca trail tours depending on the time you have:
The Inca Trail shows rugged geographies with ascents and descents next to cliffs. The mountains reach great heights with rugged stretches. In the jungle areas you will see the variety of shades of green tropical forests.
The Inca Trail begins at kilometer 82 of the railway that leads to Machu Picchu (2 hours and 30 minutes by bus from the city of Cusco). Then the ascent to the Cusichaca valley will begin. The visitor will go through the Llactapata ruins (2,840 masl) until reaching the town of Huayllabamba (3,057 masl).
The second day is the most difficult due to physical demand. The tourist will ascend to the Warmiwañuska ('Dead Woman's Pass'). This is the highest point of the route (4,215 m.a.s.l.). From this point it is possible to see the Runkurakay archaeological site (3,760 masl).
On the third day, the descent will be vertiginous to the Pacaymayo river valley. The section goes down a steep slope of almost 1,600 meters to the Sayaqmarca compound (3,625 masl). Here the view is extraordinary.
The last day hides some of the best Inca samples: Phuyupatamarka, Wiñaywayna. Upon leaving these ruins, a gradual descent will be undertaken which will become more complicated in the end. Finally, you will arrive at Intipunku or Puerta del Sol. From there you will walk for another 30 minutes to the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu.
After visiting Machu Picchu, the visitor returns to Cusco through a train and bus service. The duration of the trip is approximately 3 hours. These services are included in the tours to the Inca Trail.
Due to the high demand for tickets, you must get the entrance tickets to the Inca Trail well in advance (6 months). The purchase is made only online through the website of an authorized tourism agency.
In total 500 people enter the trails of the Inca Trail every day. Of these, only 200 are tourists. The rest are support staff such as cooks, porters, guides. The ticket to enter the Inca Trail includes support staff.
Did not find availability to do the Inca Trail? The only way to enter the Wonder of the World is by train through the Sacred Valley of the Incas or by the alternative route from Santa María to Machu Picchu. Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu must also be reserved in advance.
