Qhapaq Ñan: the mighty road of the Inca
Pedro Cieza de León, a 16th-century chronicler, was astonished as he walked through the roads of the Tahuantinsuyo. In his words:
“One of the things I most admired […] was thinking how and in what way such great and magnificent roads could have been built […] because it seems that if the emperor wanted to build another royal road […] I truly believe that, with all his power, he would not be able to do it…”
(Cieza de León, Señorío, chap. XV)
🛤️ A monumental infrastructure
The road network of the Inca Empire, known as Qhapaq Ñan, was a colossal achievement that connected the coast, highlands, and jungle through more than 30,000 kilometers of roads. Its structure was based on two major longitudinal axes:
- Highland route: from Pasto (Colombia) to Cusco and Tucumán (Argentina)
- Coastal route: from Tumbes to Maule (Chile)
In addition, many transversal routes linked coastal valleys with highland and jungle regions, integrating the entire territory.
📍 Location and legacy
The Qhapaq Ñan was more than a transportation route—it was a system of political, economic, and cultural integration. All roads were connected to Cusco, the capital of the Tahuantinsuyo, enabling control over annexed territories.
The section we now know as the Inca Trail to MachuPicchu is just a small part of this ancestral network, which extended from southern Colombia to northern Argentina.
🧱 Road design and architecture
- Stone-paved roads between 1.5 to 15 meters wide
- Retaining walls in steep areas
- Stone steps with mortar to avoid muddy zones
- Apachetas: stone piles marking the highest passes
🛣️ Main routes
- Coastal route: Cusco → Nazca → Paracas → Tumbes → Colombia / Chile / Argentina
- Highland route: Cusco → Ayacucho → Huánuco → Cajamarca → Quito → Pasto
- Altiplano route: Juliaca → La Paz → Tucumán → Santiago de Chile
🌉 Constructions along the trail
Inca bridges
- Suspension bridges: woven straw over cliffs
- Log bridges: supported by massive stone abutments
- Always present in wide rivers and difficult crossings
Tambos
- Shelters and supply depots every 20 to 30 km
- Stored food, firewood, clothing, and wool
- Hosted the Chasquis, messengers of the Inca
- A message could travel from Cusco to Ecuador in 10 days (approx. 2,000 km)
Would you like to walk part of this ancestral network? Write to us and we’ll help you plan your experience:
CAMPING TOURS
Tour operator since 1996
