Raqchi Community.

Raqchi Community, Cusco

Raqchi is a little town located 120 Kilometers away from Cusco at an altitude of 3550 meters. Residents of Raqchi are traditionally farmers and ceramists and for some years now, they have also taken a hands-on role in developing tourism in their community. To get to Raqchi we take the road from Cusco to Puno for about an hour and 45 minutes. This is why a stopover at Raqchi is a great option if you are travelling between Cusco & Puno.

The community consists of about 80 families and together they have formed an association called “Raices Inkas” (Inka Roots). Inka Roots endeavours to preserve many aspects of their ancestral ways including their traditional costumes, traditional pottery techniques, farming, traditional local produce and food habits, and the teaching of their native language Quechua.

The association has designed a program of activities which provide visitors with an opportunity to experience many authentic aspects of their Quechua culture first-hand. Local families have built additional guest rooms in their houses (some of them with private bathroom and hot showers) so they can offer lodgment. They also provide food service, offering dishes cooked with their own products such as corn, potatoes, ollucos, beans, peas, tarwi, quinoa and wheat.

If you stay overnight, you might enjoy participating in a small celebration where the host family sing and dance to the sweet sounds of native instruments called “asispayana” and “cashua”. You will also enjoy a hike that takes you to an extinct volcano called Kimsach’ata, the “Apu” or sacred mountain that looks after the area. The walk is not difficult and you will reach a lookout point with gorgeous views of the town and its temple. Visitors also have the opportunity to learn about the process of making pottery with local ceramists.

The two ideal itineraries proposed in Raqchi are as follows: