Vilcabamba

Hiking, Trekking

V!VA User‘s Description

For a true adventure, make the knee-buckling climb up to Espirítu Pampa, believed by some to be the true "Lost City of the Incas." Here you'll discover the captivating ruins of Vitcos, where the Incas launched their 35-year rebellion against the Spanish. The trail offers some of the most diverse and intriguing scenery you'll encounter while trekking in the Sacred Valley. The journey through time and up mountains begins in Huancacalle, which can be reached by taking a bus or truck from Cusco over the Abra Málaga to Quillabamba and getting off at the Huancacalle turnoff. From Huancacalle a path will bring you to where the Inca emperor was originally exiled and the resting place of the sacred rock of Chuquipalta. From here the trail heads to New Vilcabamba, a colonial-era mining town, and ascends towards a 3,800-meter pass before dropping into the jungle below. The ascent to the ruins involves a steep climb up ancient Inca staircases, and offers magnificent views of the valley below. Instead of walking back to Huancacalle, you can trek another one to two days along the river to a small town called Kiteni and take a bus back to Quillabamba. The trip takes between seven to ten days, depending on your fitness level.