Waqrapukara, an ignored point of Cusco that is a bastion of beauty.
Well, at 4 in the morning he picked us up from the hotel, one of Cusco Land top guides. It was cold in Huayqui, the starting point, but as soon as we started walking through a majestic puna we got warm. We cross paths with tourists, shepherds taking care of their flocks, and this route is more for travelers in search of spirituality drowned in commercial tours.
I remember that our guide told us, that they investigated the place in 2010: “Before entering Waqrapukara we arrive at a space formed by fluvial and wind erosion. The entire natural environment warns that it is reaching a special place, out of the ordinary, of incomparable beauty “.
The abyss that forms the Apurímac River is the cherry of the cake and makes Waqrapukara (4,104 m.s.) one of the most spectacular landscapes of the Andes. The Inca architects molded their buildings to geography. “It is an Inca sanctuary of the first order, which denotes an immense political and religious power not yet deciphered,” explained our guide in cusco land expeditions.
What more can I say? These are the places that make my heart beat faster (and not because of height). I know that one day I return, Cusco is not only Machu Picchu but also saves these wonderful places I recommend if one day you dare to visit Waqrapukara do it with Cusco Land Expeditons.
Some important data:
- To get there you have to take the road to Puno and at Chuquicahuana (km 91) take the detour to Acomayo. All asphalted. From there a trail goes to the community of Huayqui, where the walk begins.
- In Pomacanchi, located on the edge of a lagoon, there is the house of Carmen Noguera, mother of Túpac Amaru.
- Waqrapukara was built by the Qanchis and later conquered by the Incas.