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 | Newly Discovered Inca sites |
| Cerro Victoria & Choquequirao |
| Impressive, Remote Hiking |
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$4,595 p.p.d. (4-5 participants)
$4,295 p.p.d. (6-9 participants)
$3,995 p.p.d. (10-12 participants)
$ 715 Single Supplement
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Remote Hiking Adventure to
the Inca’s Last Stronghold
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 Named one of the World's Top 25 trips by National Geographic Adventure Magazine |
the Inca’s Last Stronghold
The Vilcabamba region is so rugged that it was here the rebel Inca, Manco Capac, took refuge from the conquistadores and staged his uprisings against the Spanish. Bordered to the east by the Urubamba River, to the southeast by the high peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, to the south and west by the Apurimac River and to the north by the Cosireni and Alto Urubamba rivers, where dense forest falls away to the Amazon Basin, the Vilcabamba region is so geographically convoluted that some authors have referred to it as an “inland island,” cut off from the rest of the country. Flat land is rare in this country of densely forested hills, deep gorges, snow-clad peaks and swamps. It is here, following the stone-paved route of Manco Inca into the heart of the Vilcabamba, that Southwind’s first Exploratory trek took place back in July of 1997. The adventure was so popular with our past guests, that it is now a classic trek for our more experienced hikers!
Days 1-2 : Arrive in Lima, fly to Cusco and tour the city before preparing for the trek.
Day 3 : Drive northwest to the community of Cachora, visiting the ruins at Sayhuite en route. Downhill trek to Chiquiska and set first camp nearby.
Day 4 : Descend to the Apurimac River, cross over to the other side and ascend from desert to more fertile land near the hamlet of Marampata and continue to Choquequirao.
Days 5-6 : Explore the ruins of Choquequirao and then ascend past fountains, terraces and an Inca resthouse en route to Maizal near where our next camp is set.
Days 7-8 : Explorations of Cerro Victoria near Coriwayrachina Lake. Return to Maizal and continue hiking across San Juan pass to Yanama.
Days 9-10 : Rest day at Yanama with a Pachamanca lunch on camp, trekking to Totora and camp near a native community.
Days 11-12 : Descend along the Santa Teresa River valley and cross our final pass, a low summit leading to the Urubamba gorge where we catch the local train to Aguas Calientes.
Day 13 : Spend the morning exploring Machu Picchu before returning to Cusco by train.
Days 14-15 : Fly to Lima. Tour the colonial section & Larco Herrera Museum and fly home.
Bill Meade (Burke, VA) - Frequent Southwind Trekker
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