Cusco Unveils New Hatun Q’ero Cultural Route

Cusco has announced a new experiential tourism circuit. It’s called the Cultural Route in the Q’ero Nation, one of the Quechua communities that has kept its traditions alive and is now opening its doors to tourism to showcase its rich culture.

The Q’ero Nation, regarded as “the last Inca ayllu,” is opening up to tourism to display the cultural heritage it received from its ancestors and has managed to preserve over the centuries, set against a stunning natural landscape in the Cusco province of Paucartambo.

Officials from the Sub-Directorate of Interculturality at the Cusco Directorate of Culture, together with representatives of the Hatun Q’ero community, recently held the official launch of the Cultural and Spiritual Route “Get to Know the Hatun Q’ero Community.”

The initiative aims to bring greater recognition to the living cultural heritage of the Q’ero Nation, promote the passing down of its ancestral knowledge, and create new development opportunities for its communities through sustainable cultural tourism.

The new route will let visitors take part in experiences such as the Haywarikuy offering to Pachamama, learn about the traditional textile-making process practiced by Q’ero families, and enjoy the community’s traditional cuisine.

This year, the “Q’ero Raymi 2026” will take place on July 28 and 29, giving visitors the chance to trek through the Andean highlands and experience firsthand the textile traditions, ancestral cuisine, traditional medicine, and spiritual ceremonies this nation has preserved for generations, making it one of the country’s most significant living cultural heritage sites today.

Maritza Rosa Candia, Director of Culture, emphasized that this initiative reflects a commitment to a development model grounded in culture, interculturality, and respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples.

She also noted that the Q’ero Nation’s cultural heritage helps strengthen its identity and boost its economy through responsible tourism, further cementing Cusco’s standing as an international benchmark for cultural diversity and living heritage.

The initiative is organized by the Hatun Q’ero community with support from the Paucartambo Provincial Municipality, the Regional Bureau of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Gercetur), and the Paucartambo Health Services Network, among other institutions working together to strengthen cultural tourism, safeguard intangible heritage, and promote the overall development of the Q’ero population.