Main Routes

The most important Inca road was the Camino Real, as it is known in Spanish, with a length of 5,200 km (3,230 mi). It began in Quito, Ecuador, passed through Cusco, and ended in what is now Tucumán, Argentina. The Camino Real traversed the mountain ranges of the Andes, with peak altitudes of more than 5,000 m. El Camino de la Costa, the coastal trail, with a length of 4,000 km (2,420 mi), ran parallel to the sea and was linked with the Camino Real by many smaller routes.

Inca trail to Machu Picchu.

By far the most popular of the Inca trails for trekking is the Capaq Nan trail, which leads from the village of Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu, the so-called “Lost City of the Incas”. There are many well-preserved ruins along the way, and hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world make the three- or four-day trek each year, accompanied by guides.

Inca Rope Bridges

Inca Rope bridges were simple suspension bridges over canyons and gorges to provide access for the Inca Empire. Bridges of this type were suitable for use since the Inca people did not use wheeled transport - traffic was limited to pedestrians and livestock. These bridges were an intrinsic part on the Inca road system and are an excellent example of Inca innovation in engineering. They were frequently used by chasqui runners delivering messages throughout the Inca Empire.

The construction of these bridges amounted to a pair of stone anchors on each side of the canyon with massive cables of woven grass linking these two pylons together. Adding to this construction, two additional cables acted as guardrails. The cables which supported the foot-path were reinforced with plaited branches. This multi-structure system made these bridges strong enough to even carry the Spaniards while riding horses after they arrived. However, these massive bridges were so heavy that they tended to sag in the middle, and this caused them to sway in high winds.

Part of the bridge’s strength and reliability came from the fact that each cable was replaced every year by local villagers as part of their public service or obligation. In some instances, these local peasants had the sole task of maintaining and repairing these bridges so that the Inca highways or road systems could continue to function.

Renewing the Last Bridge

After a full year of use the last Inca grass-rope bridge sags and must be replaced for safety. Even though there is a modern bridge nearby the folk in the region keep the ancient tradition and skills alive by renewing the bridge. Several family groups have each prepared a number of grass-ropes to be formed into cables at the site, others have prepared mats for decking, and the reconstruction is a communal effort. In ancient times the effort would have been a form of tax, with participants coerced to perform the rebuilding; nowadays the builders have indicated that effort is performed to honor their ancestors and the Pachamama (Earth Mother). The event has also been supported by video productions for the BBC and is becoming a minor tourist attraction, with some small tolls charged for tourists use the road during the festival to walk the newly completed bridge.