Qeswachaca Bridge

Tour Qeswachaka Inca Bridge 01 Day

Price per person: US$ 35.00

In the time of the Incas there was a large network of roads to unite the Inca empire. However, due to the irregular geography of the route, suspension bridges made of plant fiber have been built.

Qeswachaca is the only bridge that remains to this day, due to the work and commitment of Cusco families in preserving this cultural heritage. The bridge is located in the department of Cusco, over the Apurimac River at 3,700 meters above sea level. Every year about a thousand people from the Huinchiri, Chaupibanda, Choccayhua and Qollana Quehue communities gather to carry out maintenance work for four days.

Four days of traditional work to renovate the bridge.

First day: the residents of the communities go out in search of straw, a plant fiber called Ichu in Quechua. Once the Ichu is collected, the women begin weaving the ropes to form the bridge, and the men are in charge of joining the rope from end to end to braid it.

Second day: the structure of the old bridge is untied, the stone nails that support the bridge are removed, and four ropes are placed that serve as a base for the structure of the new bridge.

Third day: the residents finish assembling the handrails and the floor of the bridge where the communities will cross.

Fourth day: the renovation of the bridge is celebrated to the sound of music and dance as an expression of completed work. Finally, a brave visitor must cross the Queswachaca Bridge. Would you dare?

ITINERARY

• Pick-up from your Hotel in Cusco begins at 04:00, and once the group is gathered, they travel to Cusipata where breakfast awaits.
• Then the trip continues to the town of Yanaoca where we visit a small volcano. Later, the trip continues for 1 hour and reaches the town of Quehue, where the last Inca bridge “Q’eswachaka” is located, which is built from straw called “Ichu” plant fiber. The bridge has a length of 28.67 meters.
• After visiting the bridge, the trip continues to the Mososqllaqta viewpoint where you can see the Pampamarca and Asnaqocha Lagoons and from another viewpoint you can see the Acopia and Pomacanchi lagoons surrounded by a great variety of flora and fauna of the Andes. At the end of the visit, you return to Cusipata where a delicious lunch awaits.
• At the end, the return trip to Cusco is undertaken. Arriving at approximately 5:00 p.m.