See the main archaeological sites of Anta, watch condors over the Apurimac Canyon, stay in cozy rural Lodges where you will breathe fresh air!
Day 1 We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco in the morning and head to the town of Zurite in Anta (3,405 m). We will visit the beautiful Plaza with its church San Nicolás de Bari and its mural paintings that can be seen next to the access door to the temple. Then we will visit the impressive Inca agricultural platforms, there are about 40 stone constructions up to 1,500 meters long and three meters high divided into four sectors. It is said that they were built by the Inca Wiracocha and are still used today. In addition, rooms and complex irrigation systems have been found that modified the Andean landscape in favor of the population of the empire. Before the Incas, there were already different clans occupying this territory that, once they were conquered, formed ayllus, that is, extended family groups that share a common area and that carry out collective work.
We will have a delicious lunch outdoors at Pumatambo Hostel, where we will also stay tonight. It is a lovely rural hostel with a lot of history. Children love this place since in the garden there are numerous games to delight them. In the afternoon there is the option of a hike with your guide to explore the Inca complex of Quentequentíyoq located on a mountain with a panoramic view of the Pampa de Anta. In the afternoon a delicious dinner awaits us at the Pumatambo hostel. It also has a bar. Accommodation is simple but cozy, there are dorms for families or groups of friends with shared bathrooms.
Day 2 After breakfast, we start our 2 1/2 hour trip to the picturesque village of Chonta in the highlands of Limatambo. At the entrance booth for the Condor Viewpoint of Chonta, we will have a delicious picnic lunch and drink a coca tea before starting the hike that will take us to the Apurimac River Canyon. The hike to the last viewpoint lasts an hour and a half and is worth it for the beauty of the landscape and flora. Hopefully, we will spot the condors rising with the thermal winds from the canyon below. It is a privilege to observe the majestic Andean condor, the representative of the Hanaq Paccha or world above and the cosmos, in its natural habitat. It can rise up to 8,000 m above sea level. In the afternoon we drive to Andean Spirit Lodge where a delicious dinner will await us. Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner.
Day 3 After breakfast yo may stroll through the ample gardens of the Lodge. We leave here late morning for the short drive to Sondorf Estate, a 19th-century manor house built by a German, surrounded by gigantic palm trees, where a delicious homemade lunch awaits us. You will be attended by the lovely family that lives there and you will have the opportunity to learn about the history of this extraordinary place that to this day maintains a strong aura of times past. From here we will continue our journey, first visiting the Inca complex of Tarawasi with its ceremonial ushnu (raised platform), then to Killarumiyoq (3,600 m), an important Inca ceremonial complex at the foot of the Apu Soq’omarka. Here you will find terraces, water channels, cultivation areas, and an ushnu, as well as a small cave inside which there are petroglyphs. In the middle of all this is a huaca (sanctuary) with a semicircular carving, in the form of a throne, dedicated to Killa, the Goddess Moon. After exploring this wonderful site and enjoying the views of Anta and the snow-capped mountains of the Cordillera Vilcabamba we return to Cusco where we will drop you off at your hotel. Breakfast, Lunch
Includes:
- One night at Pumatambo Hostel in Zurite (shared bathroom)
- One night in a bungalow with private bathroom at Andean Spirit Lodge
- Meals as described in the itinerary
- English speaking Guide
- Private transport
- Entrance fees
- Peruvian taxes
Not Included:
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Yoga Class (optional)
- Extras not mentioned in the itinerary
- Tips and gratuities
Prices per person in USD:
1 person USD 1660.-
2 people USD 955.- per person
3 people USD 825.- per person
4 or more people USD 680.- per person
