{"id":56011,"date":"2025-01-04T11:51:26","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T16:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursperu.com\/?page_id=56011"},"modified":"2026-06-17T22:46:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T03:46:01","slug":"qeswachaka-the-inca-suspension-bridge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursperu.com\/en\/tours-cusco\/qeswachaka-the-inca-suspension-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Q’eswachaka: the Inca suspension bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p> <\/div>\n \n\n

Q’eswachaka: the Inca suspension bridge<\/h1>\n
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The suspension bridges were essential for the Incas to establish an extensive road network across the Andes (over 40,000 km of Inca roads). Despite being a remarkable technological advancement created by the Andean people, these bridges were replaced during the colonial era. The reason: they were \u201cwoven\u201d with natural materials that would wear out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, only one of these ichu<\/strong> (high-altitude grass) bridges<\/strong> remains in use in the province of Canas. If you want to visit it, admire it, cross it, and learn about the reasons it is still operational across the Apur\u00edmac River, book our full-day tour to Q’eswachaka<\/strong> now.<\/p>\n\n\n

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This bridge was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. Its continued existence is explained by the annual reconstruction work carried out by the communities of Hunchiri, Chaupibanda, Choccayhua, and Ccollana Quehue.<\/strong> The reconstruction takes place during the second week of June each year and lasts for 3 days. On the fourth day, the bridge is inaugurated with a folkloric festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last Inca bridge is 33 meters long and 1.2 meters wide. When you’re there, you’ll realise that Q\u2019eswachaka is history and tradition, ritual and living culture, as well as resistance to globalization.<\/p>\n\n\n

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