If history and off road adventure entices you then Cachicata Trail is for you. This one day trek takes you to the largest and ancient Inca stone quarry. Not many people are aware of the existence and prominence of this archaeological site.
During the reign of Pachacutec, Cusco saw a massive development. This includes construction of Machu Picchu and Choquequirao.
Ollantaytambo was one of the largest administrative center of Incas. It is home to some incredible stone works in the whole of Sacred Valley. These stones were cut and shaped in Cachicata.
There was also a massive construction project planned in Ollantaytambo during Pachacutec’s rule. The stone work was carried out in Cachicata. However due to the Spanish invasion this was never realised. Today, you will find remains of some finely carved pink granite stones, known as cut stones, scattered in the Quarry.
On this one day Cachicata Trail from Cusco, you will be visiting the quarry and the place that was once home to the people who worked in the Quarry. You will also be retracing the footsteps of Incas on the path that they took to transport these stones.
You can also extend the day hike to the most photographed site, the Inti Punku (Sungate). It offers an enchanting sight of the snow capped peak of Mount Veronica and many high plateau on your way to Inca stone quarry.
At Treks in Cusco, all our guides are locals. They are certified tourism professionals with an extensive knowledge on history. We don’t just offer an experience we also nurture it.
This is a high altitude experience, we highly recommend you to spend 2-3 days in Cusco to avoid altitude sickness.
If this trip excites you, then check out our Cachicata Trek to Machu Picchu.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0800 AM
At 0800 AM we will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. We will then transfer you to the trail head in our private transport. It will be a 1.5 to 2 hours drive though fantastic views of Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo.
Once in Ollantaytambo, we will begin the trail. We will be crossing a small bridge and hike up through Urubamba river. From Ollantaytambo (2800 metres) it will be a 2.5 hours hike up to 3900 metres.
We will be visiting the Incas ruins like the quarry and the remains of the houses where the people who worked at the Quarry lived. Our guide will give you a guided tour here.
After the climb, if you have enough energy, we can also continue further on the switch backs trail to Intipunku or Sun Gate. It is 450 metres higher than the Inca quarry.
After relishing on the pristine views, we will start returning through the same route that we took.
We will be dropping you off at Plaza Kusipata (Plaza Regocijo) by 0600 PM.
We did the short Inca trail tour of Machu Picchu and through Ollantaytambo is popular for its ruins and for taking train to Aguas Calientes town. Carlos, our guide then introduced us to Cachicata Trail. It was an unexpected trip with full of adventure and history. This is surely unmissable.
On a side note, the camping equipments that they offered on our Short Inca Trail were of a top quality
Never did i experience such a professional and impressive service on my trip to South America. Eduardo(the guide) is a gem of a person I did my trip to Inca Quarry Trail with him. He made sure all areas were covered and the information he shared about the places were simply impressive.