Q'eswachaka, the last Inca bridge (and why it's really worth a visit)

Only 3 hours outside of Cusco the last remaining Inca rope bridge can be visited and (if you are brave enough) also crossed. 

Now, don't worry, this bridge has not been up since the Inca times. In fact, due to safety reasons it has to be rebuilt every year in June. Rebuilding this bridge is a community effort. The whole village gathers together for three days, bringing thin grass ropes that they had weaved during the year and combining these thinner pieces into thick and sturdy ropes. These ropes then have to be spanned over the river and weaved together using again the thinner ropes.

If you find this hard to imagine and want to see some visuals or are interested to learn more about this process I highly recommend to watch the documentary done in 2022 by arte available in English, German or Spanish. It follows the village on these three days and shows the steps necessary to rebuild this bridge every year.

We made our way to Q'eswachaka on a Saturday morning and arrived there around noon. To our surprise we had the bridge to ourselves with no other tourists there. Nearby there are also (free and clean) public restrooms. The entrance to cross the bridge is 10 Soles (around 2.7 USD). With this, the bridge can be crossed one time. The site is clean and really well maintained with dedicated miradores ("viewpoints") to take pictures.

But not only Q'eswachaka was really worth the visit, the trip itself was a highlight, as we came across some beautiful sights. We stopped by the 4 lakes Pomacanchi, Acopia, Asnaqocha y Pampamarca that on their own are worth a visit.

Maybe less spectacular but in my opinion also worth a short visit: the tiny (inactive) volcano Pabellones. The volcano is only around 7 meters high and can be easily climbed. The entrance is only 2 Soles (around 0.60 USD).

And, as common in Peru, we were also able to see some local animals, either on the side of the road or even as oncoming traffic. 

All in all, I really recommend to take a one day trip down to Q'eswachaka when in Cusco to see some beautiful sights as well as experience first hand some Inca history.