A 'cradle of gold'

Sprawled across three hilltops and 12 sectors, Choquequirao is less immediately photogenic

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than Machu Picchu. But this towering citadel, occasionally buried within the clouds, offers a level of solitude unimaginable at most ancient marvels. It also has innumerable tentacles for would-be archaeologists to explore. Abandoned in the mid-16th century, Choquequirao had been 'rediscovered' several times over the past three centuries before preservation efforts began in earnest in 1992. Modern archaeologists believe it was geo-cosmically placed in line with its ceremonial sister, Machu Picchu, with a temple and administrative buildings situated around a central square and living quarters clustered further afield.