Apachetas of Chivay

Above Chivay, on the high-altitude plateau that separates the Colca Valley from the plains around Arequipa, stand clusters of apachetas — mystic cairns built up over generations by Andean travellers and pilgrims. These are not formal monuments but living ritual sites, still used by local people travelling the old routes across the altiplano.

The walk up to the apachetas from Chivay takes you through dramatic high-altitude scenery — vicuñas grazing on the puna grassland, distant volcanoes, an immense sky. The altitude (approaching 5,000 metres) means the walk is strenuous if you are not yet acclimatised. Go slowly, drink water, and bring a windproof layer; even in clear weather the wind at this elevation cuts hard.

things to do sight
A story
Apachetas are sacred Andean rock cairns where travellers make offerings — adding a stone, a coca leaf, or a small personal object — to ask permission from the mountain spirits (Apus) before crossing high passes. The tradition predates the Inca and continues throughout the Andes today. The apachetas above Chivay sit close to 5,000 metres above sea level, where the air is thin enough to make every step deliberate.