Almost everyone knows about Machu Picchu, but who has heard about Choqequirau (pronounced Cho-kee-ka-rau)? In a 2007 New York Times article, the place has been touted as the “other Machu Picchu” which is perhaps doing it injustice considering it has its own equally significant place in Peruvian history and culture. Perhaps for comparison one can say this is Machu Picchu before the influx of tourists, visitors and hikers: unspoiled, more difficult to reach and largely uncovered.
Choqequirau was an important Incan city that was like all the other cities laid out and built in alignment with the sun and the stars. The name is Southern Quechua for “Cradle of God” and is situated along the Salkantay Mountain Range in the Cusco Region. During the Spanish rule, it was the main religious center for the fleeing Incans and also served as a critical link between the Amazon Jungle and the city of Cusco. However, for some unknown reasons it has been lost in the archives.
One theory is that the Incas wanted to protect the secrecy of the place from the Spaniards who were reported to never have found the city. It was so underestimated by both archaeologists and historians that it was only in the 1970s when the first excavations were started and 1993 when actual restoration of the lost city was begun.
To get to the place, a trip via Cusco with a stop at Cachora is the most convenient way. There is still no direct transportation to Choqequirau and the trek across the more than 1,800 hectares of ruins and terraces takes about two days. Like Machu Picchu one can find Inca terraces, temple ruins, buildings and living quarters of the Incans.