The province of Paucartambo, whose district has the same name, is located at an altitude of 2,906 m. and is located 110 kilometers from the city of Cusco.

In pre-Hispanic times, it belonged to the Antisuyo, which in turn corresponded to the Qhapac Ñan route that reached the Madre de Dios region. It has a variety of ecological floors: Mountains with inter-Andean valleys, cloud forests, high jungle, low jungle, and the confluence of the Mapacho and Qenqomayu rivers. 

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Paucartambo: Living Culture and Religious Fervor

Paucartambo comes from two Quechua words: Paucar, which means colorful, and Tambo, which means place of lodging, that is, “a colorful place.”

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Its streets are narrow, cobbled, and characterized by having a colonial architecture with houses covered in white and blue balconies, giving them an even and sober aesthetic.

It is said that upon the arrival of the Incas, this area was inhabited by the Huallas; Inca Roca was propitiated to conquer these lands for his coca production, and Pachacutec subjugated the Mojos aborigines.

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History of the Town of Paucartambo

At the time of the colony in 1565, the corregimiento of Paucartambo was created, which is characterized by its commercial routes for coca leaf, gold, and fabrics.

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At the end of the 17th century, between 1673 and 1794, the church of the Virgen del Rosario was built, dedicated to Mariana, which currently houses the Virgen del Carmen.

This church has a single bell tower; the front shows a stone doorway made in a semicircular arch that has a wooden balcony at the top; the interior has a single nave; and on the epistle wall there are two chapels, one belonging to the Lord of the Earthquakes and the other to the Lord of the Judgment.

Its pulpit is made of wood with Solomonic columns; its main altar is neoclassical in style, with Solomonic columns and rose windows bathed in gold leaf; its tabernacle has canvases of the “Assumption of the Virgin,”  the “presentation of the Child,”  and “Adam and Eve.”

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In 1775, King Carlos III built a stone bridge with a pointed arch, which would have the same name, in order to provide security for means of transport and pedestrians, thus replacing the Inca suspension bridges that were often unstable.

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Characterization of Paucartambo

Paucartambo is characterized by its living culture, ethnohistory, and faith; as a result of this, the Museum of the Peoples of Paucartambo was created.

This Museum of the Peoples of Paucartambo, inaugurated by the Disconcerted Directorate of Culture in Cusco, aims to preserve the memory and history of this location while also disseminating knowledge gained through various investigations. The caporales, the main dance actors, were present at this museum.

Video art is used as an audiovisual resource in all rooms.

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Paucartambo Dance Museum

The museum presents us with the following sequence in its rooms:

Paucartambo, Amazonian-Andean confluence in the Antisuyo

It depicts the geographical region and road network of the Qhapac An, and ceramics discovered in Ninamarca are on display in the same room.

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Andean communities and their social fabric

In this room, they show us the living culture of the Qero Nation, its 6 districts, 149 peasant communities, 227 rural towns, and 2 native communities. Also in this sequence, oral and linguistic traditions and modes of textile production are shown.

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This room focuses on the living community of the ceja de selva, where the communities of Qeros and Santa Rosa de Huacaria meet with their languages, Matsiguenka and Huachiperi, of the Arawak and Harakbut linguistic families.

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Mamacha Carmen, religious routes, social networks, and rhythms of faith

This room focuses clearly on the festival of Mamacha Carmen, which in a theatrical context brings together the populations of Antisuyo and Qollasuyo. Here are shown the costumes of the more than 16 dances performed in life size, all of which were made by hand.

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The Feast of the Virgen del Carmen

This one starts from July 15 to 18 of each year, when the traditional festival of the Virgen del Carmen is celebrated, and the inhabitants get ready with their best clothes and the houses and facades well repainted to receive the visitors who arrive, reactivating their economy and spreading their faith and tradition.

It is believed that the image of the Virgen del Carmen arrived together with that of the Virgen de la Candelaria and the Virgen del Carmen de la Legua. It should be noted that many of the dances were created around the oral versions of the arrival of the Virgin from Carmen.

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According to what they say

The llamas, who were highland merchants who came to Cusco to exchange products from the region, discovered the head of the Virgen del Carmen among their belongings and delivered it to a lady who hosted these characters and who commanded to build the rest of the body, which is how the qollas homage was born.

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They also say that two images were sent to the corregimientos of Paucarqolla and Paucartambo; these images were sent in parts, and when the heads were sent, there was confusion, and they were exchanged on the way.

Thus, the head of the Virgen del Carmen is in Puno and the head of the Virgen del Rosario is in Paucartambo, Since then, the claim and conflict between the Qhapaq Qolla and the Qhapaq Chuncho have been represented by the guerrillas.

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How long does the Paucartambo festival last?

The festival lasts three days and begins with music and targets from the comparsas.

On the night of the 15th, the “Qonoy” rite of the campfire is performed, where the Chunchus and Qollas do acrobatics and show off their courage by playing with fire. The “Punchauniykipi,” a kind of serenade in which various dances greet Mamacha Carmen, begins at 10 p.m.

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The 16th, two masses are held, the one at dawn, at 5 in the morning, and the one at the festival, at 10 in the morning; then they go on to perform “The Forest” from an atrium, and the Qhapaq Qolla give away different objects such as buckets, small balls, plastic jugs, and oranges. At 3 in the afternoon, the Virgen del Carmen performs the main procession that runs through the narrow streets of Paucartambo.

On the 17th, the dancers go to the cemetery, where they worship and pay their respects to their deceased ancestors, who were also dancers. At 2 p.m., there is a procession on the Carlos III bridge, during which the four cardinal points of Cusco are blessed.Starting at 4 in the afternoon, the guerrilla is carried out, an act dramatized by the Qhapaq Qolla, the Qapaq Chuncho, Waka Waka, and the Saqras.

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18th, the “ocarikuy,”  which is the baptism of children and adolescents, is held, and in the afternoon, a last blessing from the Virgen del Carmen dismisses the party.

This day 19th, a mass of thanksgiving is held, and the virgin is lowered from the platform to be put on her altar; this day is called the watascama. In the afternoon, the Cacharpari is held, which is a goodwill farewell where they wish their travelers well and health to return next year.

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The Dances that make up the ensemble of Comparsas

• Qhapaq Black
• Qapaq Chuncho
• Doctorcito or Siklla
• Qhapaq Qolla
• Ch’unchachas
• K’achampa
• Aucca Chilean
• Misti Qanchi
• saqra(“devil”)
• waca waca
• Qoyacha
• Negrillo
• Contredanse
• paucartampus
• Maqt’a
• Baker
• Chucchu
• danzaq
• majeno

Is it possible to do mountain biking in Paucartambo?

This is one of the best biking tour alternatives that you can do in Paucartambo, and here we mention the routes; their beginning, end and things to see:

Three crosses bike Route

Best cycling routes, with camping at the Tres Cruces viewpoint and cycling down to the town of Paucartambo.

Tres Cruces is the best sunrise viewpoint in the world, which starts at 5 in the morning, after which you can do the 40-kilometer bike activity. by a wide dirt road with small climbs.

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Manu bike route

This route starts from the Acjanaco control, which is located at the entrance to the Tres Cruces viewpoint at 3,493 m, and ends in Salvation (Machu Cochawasi) at 650 m.

Normally this route lasts 3 to 4 days with breaks and visits to wildlife parks.

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Chullpas of Ninamarka and Watoqto bike route

The route starts from the Ninamarca ruins and travels along a paved road and a wide dirt road to the town of Paucartambo.

After resting in Paucartambo, you can continue pedaling to the Inca ruins of Watoqto; this bike ride has a distance of 30 km. pure adventure.

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How do I get to Paucartambo from Cusco?

You can hire a tourism agency that offers a tour guide and complete routes through the different archaeological centers, or you can go to the district of San Jerónimo, control whereabouts; from there, you can take a collective transport to Paucartambo; the route lasts 2:30 hours. Prices double during the holiday season; take precautions.