INCA TRAIL OFICIAL PERMITS

Discover the magic of the Andes in Machu Picchu.

At that time of the Incas there were no wheels or horses. The only thing left for the inhabitants of the Andes to do was to walk and travel step by step across this vast and varied territory. There was no other way to cross the mountain range, the pampas, the rivers or the Andean valleys.

They walked the officials of the Inca Empire, the troops eager for conquest, the powerful ruler who traveled perched on his litter, and, of course, always the chasquis (the pre-Hispanic messengers) who took turns on the route to carry important information and messages.

They went back and forth from the coast to the mountains, making posts and recovering energy in the tambos (rest areas located in strategic places). The chasquis were light, very fast. They were so fast that – according to the legend that is still spread – they were able to bring fresh fish and seafood to the Inca and his panaca (family), who lived in Cusco, the stone city thousands of meters above sea level.

To this day, the trail that connects the Quebrada de la Waca or Puerto Inca (province of Caravelí, Arequipa) with Cusco is called the Fish Route. And although no one thinks of carrying the fruits of the sea in the style of the chasquis, the memory remains and is shared with those who visit Puerto Inca, one of the few beaches in Peru where there are archaeological remains of that time