Cordillera Vilcabamba

By Martin Li

Northwest of the timeless Inca city of Machu Picchu lies Vilcabamba—a wild, densely forested region of cold uplands and hot sub-tropical valleys, bordered by the Urubamba and Apurimac rivers. Following the Spanish conquest, most of the surviving Inca royalty fled into the steep, overgrown Vilcabamba mountains, where they held out for several decades and made their final refuge.

The overgrown route through Vilcabamba is dominated by high peaks as it climbs from the cloud forest below Machu Picchu and crosses the spine of the range before descending into another steep canyon. The going is heavy and difficult, and maps of the region are often unreliable. Getting lost in the jungle is a real possibility if traveling without knowledgeable local guides.

After Machu Picchu, the superbly atmospheric yet seldom-visited Choquequirao is one of the best-preserved major Inca ruins, perched on a wooded spur high above the Apurimac. The site isn’t mentioned in any chronicles of the Conquest and its precise purpose remains unknown, which adds to its allure. More important historically, Vilcabamba was home to the post-Conquest Inca capitals. The ruins of Manco Inca’s capital, Vitcos, occupy an elevated position at Rosaspata.

In a nearby valley stands the magnificent White Rock, a huge outcrop of white granite, 52 ft. (15.8 m) long, 30 ft. (9.1 m) wide and 25 ft. (7.6 m) high, covered in complex carvings, flights of steps, seats and square projections. Each year on June 24th, locals re-enact the vibrant Inti Raymi festival (the most important pre-hispanic festival, paying homage to the sun). This is a much better alternative to the tourist-packed festival at Cusco.

Deeper in the jungle, Espiritu Pampa hides the ruins of many Inca buildings, temples and palaces, almost completely covered with vines and lush tropical growth, all beneath a towering canopy of trees. This is believed to have been the site of Vilcabamba the Old, the Incas’ final stronghold. The poignant last capital of the Incas marks the end of the magnificent, but short-lived, Inca empire. It was here in 1572 that Tupac Amaru, the last Inca emperor, was captured by the Spanish, hauled off to Cusco and executed, thus bringing to an end the Inca dynasty.