Qeswachaka Bridge Tour

Description Qeswachaka Cusco Bridge Tour:

With the “Qeswachaka Cusco Bridge Tour”, you will enjoy a getaway outside the city of Cusco, be in contact with the Andean nature and get to know the last living Inca bridge in the area of Q’ewe. We will relive the history of the why of the Inca bridges and we will know why this tradition of renewing it every year continues.

QUESHUACHACA, q’iswa = maguey rope or braided dry ichhu and chaka = bridge. It is a bridge made of ropes made of grass that crosses the Apurimac River near Huinchiri, in the district of Quehue, province of Canas – Cusco. It is the last remaining Inca rope bridge.

The Qeswachaka bridge has a length of 28.67 meters and is suspended 30 meters above the Apurimac River. It was part of the huge network of Inca roads (qhapac ñan) that led to the Inca city of Machu Picchu. Every year the local population renovates the bridge just as the Incas did hundreds of years ago.

This road network included different types of bridges, such as: log bridges, stone bridges, floating bridges, oroyas (sliders) and hanging bridges. Hanging bridges were the most used by the Incas, as they easily withstood earthquakes. They were built with ropes made of ichu (wild grass from the Andes) and could reach lengths of 60 meters.

By Inca order, the suspension bridges were renewed once a year through the work of the ‘minka’ (community work for the benefit of the entire population). After the Inca Empire, suspension bridges continued to be used due to their resistance to earthquakes. The best known example is the ‘Qeswachaka Bridge’ in the city of Quehue (Cusco).

Although there is a modern bridge nearby, the residents of the region keep alive the ancient tradition and skills by renewing the bridge annually on the second Sunday of June. Thanks to this tradition of Inca origin, it has been possible to maintain the Qeswachaka suspension bridge. This cooperative work is carried out by the communities of Huinchiri, Chaupibanda, Ccollana, Quehue and Pelcaro. The festival lasts 4 days and involves all the men and women of the villages involved.

At dawn of the first day, the ‘Paqo’ (officiant of the ceremony) celebrates the rite in favor of the ‘Apu tutelar Quinsallallawi’. The ‘icchu’ (straw) was collected and stacked in advance by members of the 4 communities. The women of the communities who have the function of weaving the first soguilla or ‘qheswa’ participate actively. In the afternoon the men divided in 2 groups gather at the sides of the bridges and spread the ‘queswas’ in a straight line on the road, the ropes are braided by the ‘Chakaruwac’ (Inca engineer) to build the ‘Qheswasca’ (big braid). On the fourth day, the Chakuruwacs finish weaving the bridge securing the last fibers and give a shout announcing the end of the arduous work; it is a festival with typical dances of the region and sale of typical Cusco food.

The bridge can now be used by tourists who come to the village to experience the adventure of crossing the Qeswachaka bridge.

MAIN POINTS OF VISIT

• Cusco (3,399 masl)
• Combapata
• Yanaoca
• Q’ewe

Día 1: Cusco – Combapata – Yanaoca – Q’ewe – Q’eswachaka – 4 Lagunas – Comabapata – Cusco

• 04.30 – 05.00 hrs We will start our adventure by picking you up at your hotels. We will begin our journey to the south of Cusco.
• 07.30 hrs Our first stop will be in Combapata, where we will stop to use the restrooms and enjoy a continental breakfast in a local family’s house. Then we will go to the viewpoint of Combapata.
• We will advance through the district of Yanaoca, one of the eight districts of the province of Canas in Cusco.
• Then we will continue our tour for 1 hour more and we will arrive to the district of Q’ewe after a 15 min. walk on a trail where the famous Inca bridge of “Q’eswachaka” is located.
• 10.00 hrs The guide will tell us the story of this Inca engineering work, the history, the process of construction each year, why this tradition is continued. We will take pictures and pass from one end to the other over the bridge. It is optional to take a boat ride, adding to the tour S/.10.00.
• 13.00 hrs After the visit we will board the transport to Combapata to enjoy lunch, then we will make a digestive walk until we reach a viewpoint where we will appreciate the Pampamarca and Asnacqq Lagoons: Pampamarca and Asnacqocha, then we will go to another point of a viewpoint where we will appreciate the lagoons of Acopía and Pomacanchi observing a large amount of regional flora and fauna experiencing an enriched Andean culture.
• At the end of this circuit we will return to Cusco by cell phone, travel time 2 hours, arrival at approximately 17.00 hrs. We will leave you at your hotel or near the main square.

Breakfast & Lunch – Agency /Dinner – Passenger