Huchuy Qosqo

Huchuy Qosqo means little Cusco, a modern name; the Inca called it Kakya Qawani. It was a royal estate attributed to Viracocha Inca, built on a shelf about six hundred metres above the Urubamba near Lamay, with terraces, a kallanka - a long hall of fine masonry with adobe upper walls still standing on stone foundations - storehouses, and an irrigation channel bringing water from above. The reason to go is that there is no road: the site is reached either by a two-day trek from Tambomachay above Cusco, crossing a pass at over 4,300 metres and descending into the valley, or by a steep three to four hour climb up from Lamay. That keeps visitor numbers low and means the estate is usually empty, with the whole Sacred Valley laid out below it. Horses can be arranged from the valley side.

The main sights

• The kallanka - a long hall with adobe upper walls surviving on Inca stone.
• The terraces - the estate platform cut into the mountainside above the valley.
• The water channel - the irrigation system bringing water across the slope.
• The isolation - no road, and usually no other visitors.

When to go

April to October. A full day from Lamay by the steep route, or two days trekking from Tambomachay over the pass. Horses can be hired in the valley.

Before you go

The climb from Lamay is three to four hours of steep ascent to 3,650 metres and is genuinely hard. The trek route crosses over 4,300 metres and needs acclimatisation. No facilities at the site or on the way. Water must be carried.

Nearby

Lamay and Calca are in the valley below; Tambomachay is at the far end of the trek route.

Key facts