Explore Lesser-Known Ruins At Machu Picchu's Uncrowded 'Sister'
By Mina Elwell
VACATIONS
While Machu Picchu is a once-in-a-lifetime destination, there is another nearby site that offers a lot of the same features without the crowds: Choquequirao.
Choquequirao was also once an Incan city, and while thousands flock to Machu Picchu on a daily basis, only about 20 people visit Choquequirao each day.
Like Machu Picchu, Choquequirao once had religious and political importance. It was designed to mirror the sky above, so the early morning light falls on important locations.
When you arrive, you'll be surrounded by hundreds of stone ruins, including walls painted with images of llamas, huge halls, and places where the dead were once laid to rest.
The rough, 39-mile route to Choquequirao is almost certainly why the ruins are so uncrowded. It takes around four days, there and back, and often runs along a high cliff's edge.