Mountain of 7 Colors & Ausangate

Apu Ausangate (the sacred snow peak of the Incas) is one of the newest attractions Toptur Perú has designed for its travelers, and its beauty is indescribable.

If we follow the course of the Urubamba River towards the high plateau, we find a group of villages, archaeological sites and natural places that make up the South Valley corridor: a different way to discover Cusco and Peru.

The South Valley

Cusco’s South Valley hides a range of unique activities, tours and experiences that few travelers know about: hikes, regional cuisine, scenery, nature and culture, such as the Andean Baroque Route (Huaro, Canincunca and Andahuaylillas).

You can also visit beautiful archaeological sites such as Tipón, the greatest expression of Inca hydraulic engineering, or the most important pre-Inca site in southern Peru: Pikillaqta, the most important Wari legacy in Cusco, alongside the beautiful Huacarpay wetlands and the Qoyllur Urmana lagoon, where nature is the host.

Discover and explore this part of Cusco far from the tour groups, and feel the connection you are looking for.

Apu Ausangate

The sacred snow peak of Ausangate is surrounded by vast, luminous multicolored lakes such as Sibinacocha, Pukacocha and Otorongoqocha, as well as snow-capped peaks, stone forests, glaciers and wide plains whose magical landscape is truly impressive. It is admired not only for its extraordinary beauty, but also respected for what it means in the Cusco worldview. All of this is part of the new route called the 7 Lakes of Ausangate, an outdoor route that is incredibly beautiful from start to finish.

 

Apu Ausangate is also home to the famous Mountain of 7 Colors (also called Cerro Colorado or simply “Rainbow Mountain”), one of the newest and best attractions in Peru. Located more than 100 kilometers from the city of Cusco, on a summit at 5,200 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.), it is a mountain formation tinged with various shades, the result of a complex combination of minerals and endogenous and exogenous processes over millions of years.

Waqrapucara Spiritual Center

An ancient and mystical route!

Waqrapukara, or Wacrapucara, is a new and recently promoted tourist attraction in Cusco, located in the province of Acomayo near the Apurímac River at 4,300 m a.s.l. (13,123 feet). Waqrapukara has not yet been deciphered and may be considered a fortress, a sanctuary or an astronomical observatory. It was first built by the Canchis people and later conquered by the Incas. This tour will take you to a different and unusual destination, where you will enjoy spectacular landscapes, various lagoons and the depths of the Apurímac canyon, the second deepest in South America and home to the Andean condor, and you will also connect with the nature and energy of this amazing place.

Visit this hidden place high above the imposing Apurímac canyon, considered an Inca Sanctuary and a Spiritual Retreat for hikers in search of peace and contact with Mother Nature.

4 Lagoons and the Tupac Amaru Circuit

Another great alternative, with spectacular and peaceful scenery, located in the province of Acomayo, in the district of Pomacanchi (3,670 m a.s.l.), 105 km from the city of Cusco (2 hours). An Andean landscape in transition to the puna, with four bodies of water: the Pomacanchi, Acopia, Asnasqocha & Tungasuca lagoons, the last of which lies at the highest altitude, 3,750 m a.s.l.

This difference in altitude lets you see all four lagoons, creating a unique panoramic view in Cusco.

This route is very interesting because it also includes a visit to the restored house (now a museum) of Tupac Amaru II, who raised the first cry for freedom in the Americas.

High-Andean lagoons, plains, wetlands, a variety of ecological niches and ecosystems, inter-Andean valleys, native high-altitude forests, rolling plains, flora and fauna including migratory birds, reed beds, flamingos and more. This route offers an excellent experience for nature lovers and cyclists.