Huchuy Qosqo the Little Cusco is an archeological site north of Cuzco, Peru it was originally an administrative and military center around Pisaq, with many though-provoking constructions in the surrounding vicinity. You may also observe Inca buildings with fine, perfect stonework & grain-storage structures called Collcas to store and preserve food, because it was an important agricultural center to produce corn. Its name is Quechua for Little Cusco and it is found at an elevation of 3650 meters (11,800 feet), above the 3000-meter high town of Lamay and the Sacred Valley. The site received its name in the 20th century previously it had been known as Kakya Qawani. Pedro de Cieza de León, in his Second Chronicle of Peru, claimed that the palaces were built by Viracocha, the Eighth Inca. Amongst a large number of buildings, some stone, some adobe, is a kallanka (great hall), 40m long. Providing water to the site is a marvelous Inca-built irrigation channel, lined with stones for about 800m. The site is inaccessible by public road
The Huchuy Qosqo Trek takes you to the lovely trek to the lesser-known Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo. This site is situated on a plateau with stunning views overlooking the Sacred valley and the snow-capped peaks of the Vilcabamba range.
The day starts by driving to the small town of Corao, around 30 minutes from Cusco, before branching off the road into the high Andes and the tiny village of Patabamba at 3848 MASL/12624 FASL. It is at this location where the Huchuy Qosqo trailhead is located.
This trail will first take you to the little village of Sihua, then up to the Pukamarca pass (4150 MASL – 13615 FASL), overlooks the village with the same name. Here, you will have a splendid viewpoint of the Urubamba mountain range and the Sacred Valley. After reaching the top of the pass, there is a 2 km/0.6 mile (approximately 30 minute) downhill hike to the Pumamarka Community for lunch.
After lunch, you will continue your trek to the Puma Puncu canyon ( “the puma door” ). From here, you will hike along an original Incan trail, which has be restored as part of the Qapacñan project. This trail will lead you to the isolated and mysterious Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo (“the little Cusco’’) perched above the Sacred Valley of the Incas at 3600 MASL/11811 FASL. Once in the site, your guide will walk you through and show you all the site’s amazing Inca buildings like sacred temples, storehouses, Inca terraces for agriculture and the Inca reservoir used to store water during the dry season.
After your guided tour of the site, we will begin our 2-hour walk downhill to the village of Lamay (2,800 meters) by the Urumbamba River in the Sacred Valley, where a bus will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.
Walking Distance – 12 km / 7.46 miles
Starting point of the hike – 3848 meters ASL / 12624 feet ASL
Maximum Altitude: 4150 meters ASL/ 13615 feet ASL
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch (Plus Snack)
Adventure: Absolutely
Hiking Hours: 7 Hours
