Lares Trek

Day 1

We leave your Cusco hotel in the morning (around 8am), driving to the provincial town of Calca in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. On route we will do a brief stop at the Archaeological Park of Ancasmarca. Then we continue northward to a spectacular high pass before dropping down to the village of Lares on the east slope of the Andes, Here we take a delicious dip at a hot springs in the meadows outside of town and then enjoy a picnic lunch. Then we begin a leisurely half-day hike up the valley of the rushing Rio Trapiche, before reaching the highland village of Huacahuasi, where we camp for the night.    

Meals:  L, D

Day 2

We climb steadily, traversing an open, treeless landscape of ground-hugging plants and flowers among pastures of Andean bunch-grass scattered with roaming herds of alpacas and llamas. Reaching an altitude of 4,500m. we cross the pass of Ipsayccasa then descend into the Patacancha watershed, with the lake of Ipsaycocha to our right. We may see Andean Geese, Puna Ibis and other water birds in the wetlands here as we journey through the heartland of these Quechua people, who are locally nicknamed “Huayruros” – the name of a red and black seed reminiscent of the color combinations of the local textiles. We reach the village of Patacancha and camp nearby.    

Meals: B, L, D

Day 3

Our transport takes us down valley to Pallata, where we begin a short, half-day hike to Ollantaytambo, via the scenic early-Inca site of Pumamarca (Puma town). This well-preserved Inca outpost was apparently a fort protecting the approaches to the Sacred Valley. From there we hike down a trail that winds gently across steep mountain slopes, through a stupendous series of agricultural terraces built by the Incas and now partially restored to agricultural use.

Lunch Ollantaytambo.       

Atfer lunch, return to Cusco

Meals: B, L