The best pre-trek lodge at the Choquequirao trailhead — canyon views, real beds, and trek logistics sorted
Cachora is a small village at 2,850m in the Apurímac region, and the Capuliyoc Lodge is by far its best accommodation option — a family-run property with a terrace overlooking the canyon, 12 comfortable rooms, and owners who have been arranging Choquequirao treks since the route first opened. The night before a demanding multi-day trek matters enormously: a good dinner, a proper bed, and a pre-dawn breakfast ready when you need it. Capuliyoc delivers all three, plus the best mule-hire and guide connections in the village.
Rooms with terrace access and views down into the Apurímac Canyon — on a clear day you can see the river glinting 1,500m below. The most atmospheric rooms in the lodge.
Comfortable rooms facing the garden rather than the canyon. Quieter and slightly cheaper — a good option if the canyon-view rooms are booked.
The terrace restaurant serves traditional Peruvian highland cuisine — hearty soups, grilled trout, quinoa dishes. The pre-trek breakfast (available from 4:30am for early departures) is hot, substantial, and properly fuelling. The dinner the night before the trek is the most important meal of the journey.
Most trekkers depart before 5:30am. The lodge staff are accustomed to this and will prepare breakfast from 4:30am. Arrange your departure time with reception the evening before.
Fill all water bottles (3L+) at the lodge before departure — the first reliable water source on the trail is 2 hours into the descent. The lodge sells water purification tablets if you haven't brought your own.
Cachora has limited mobile signal (Claro is the most reliable provider in this region). The lodge has WiFi, but it's slow. Inform family of your itinerary before leaving Cachora — there is no signal on the trail.
Cachora at 2,850m is comfortable for most visitors. The lodge is useful for acclimatisation if you've come directly from sea level — one night here before the trek is better than arriving from a lower altitude on the morning of departure.
📌 Cachora Village, Apurímac Region, Peru
The trek begins at the trailhead below the village where the path descends into the canyon.
A pre-trek viewpoint showing the full scale of the Apurímac Canyon and the first day's route.
The main regional hub — transfer arranged through the lodge on request.
The nearest city for ATMs, pharmacies, and supplies if not already stocked in Cusco.