The Q’eswachaka bridge is 28 meters long, suspended 30 meters above the Apurímac River. It was part of the vast Inca road network (qhapac ñan) that led to the Inca city of Machu Picchu. Every year the local population rebuilds the bridge exactly as the Incas did hundreds of years ago — one of Cusco’s most remarkable living traditions.
The Q’eswachaka bridge is located in a remote area of the province of Canas, Cusco department, in the district of Quehue at 3,700 m above sea level.
Made from paja brava (ichu grass), this wonder is renewed each year through a ritual carried out by four communities: Winch’iri, Chaupibanda, Ccollana Quehue, and Perccaro. The reconstruction is a matter of spiritual obligation — as local elder María Quispe explains: “Whether we use it or not, if we do not build a new bridge each year, we risk the wrath of the Pachamama and the Apus.”
Before the weaving begins, a pago a la tierra (earth offering) is performed by the Paqo (Andean priest), who prepares an altar with coca leaves, llama fetuses, and food offerings. Women do not participate in the reconstruction — this labor is reserved for men, as local tradition holds that women bring q’encha (bad luck) to certain rituals.
Crossing the bridge’s 28 meters above the Apurímac gorge is an exhilarating experience.
The Four Lakes circuit is located in the province of Acomayo, 107 km from Cusco. The four lakes are Pomacanchi, Acopia, Asnaqocha, and Pampamarca — surrounded by natural grasslands, local wildlife, and regional flora. Also included is a visit to a small volcano in Pabellones, Yanaoca — approximately 4 meters in diameter, considered the smallest in the world.
