Qenqo
A limestone outcrop above Cusco that the Incas carved into a shrine, with passages and an underground chamber.
A shrine in the rock
For the Incas, unusual rocks, springs and caves were sacred places called huacas. At Qenqo they shaped a whole limestone outcrop. On top is a zigzag channel that probably carried liquid offerings.
A natural fissure under the rock was widened into a chamber with a carved table and niches. It may have been used to prepare the dead.
Qenqo at a glance
- Location
- 4 km north-east of Cusco
- Altitude
- about 3,580 m
- Type
- Inca huaca carved in limestone
- Name
- Quechua for zigzag or labyrinth
- Features
- carved channel, chamber with altar, amphitheatre
- Part of
- Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park
- Ticket
- Cusco tourist ticket
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
Through the chamber
A short passage leads through the rock into the chamber and out the other side. Outside is a semicircular space with niches and a standing stone.
Qenqo in figures
In pictures
Select a photograph to enlarge it. Authors and licences are listed in the photo credits.
Before you go
Getting there
Qenqo is on the road from Cusco to Pisac, a short taxi ride or a walk of about an hour from the city centre by way of Sacsayhuamán.
On the visit
Entry is with the Cusco tourist ticket, which also covers Sacsayhuamán, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.
Good to know
The four sites can be visited in half a day. Cusco is high, so take the walk slowly.
Opening times, access rules and prices change. Confirm them before you travel: Ministry of Culture.
