The Chinkanas of Cusco

Most visitors who arrive at Sacsayhuamán are captivated by its immense zigzag walls, where limestone blocks weighing many tonnes fit together with astonishing precision. Yet one of the site's greatest mysteries does not stand above the ground at all. It lies beneath their feet.

Among the limestone outcrops on the northern side of the archaeological complex are a series of underground passages known as the Chinkanas. Although they receive only a fraction of the attention given to the monumental walls nearby, these tunnels have fascinated explorers, historians and local residents for centuries. Some visitors see nothing more than a few dark openings cut into the rock, while others believe they are the surviving entrances to an extensive subterranean network extending beneath ancient Cusco.

The word chinkana comes from the Quechua language and is generally translated as a place where one becomes lost, a labyrinth or a hidden passage. The name is remarkably appropriate because almost every historical account agrees on one point. Once inside the deeper tunnels, it was extremely easy to lose all sense of direction.

Unlike many ancient monuments, the Chinkanas cannot be appreciated from a single viewpoint. They reveal themselves gradually through carved entrances, narrow corridors, sculpted rock faces and passages disappearing into darkness. Even today, much of the system remains inaccessible, leaving many questions unanswered about its true extent and original purpose.

More Than Natural Caves

At first glance it might be tempting to assume that the Chinkanas are simply natural caves that were later adapted for human use. After all, the limestone plateau around Sacsayhuamán contains natural fractures, fissures and weathered rock formations that have developed over thousands of years.

A closer inspection tells a more complicated story.

The entrances are surrounded by carefully shaped bedrock that differs noticeably from the irregular surfaces created by natural erosion. Flat platforms have been cut into the living rock. Steps descend into the passages. Niches appear in locations where they would have served no geological purpose. Drainage channels guide water away from entrances, helping to keep the interior passages relatively dry during the rainy season.

These features suggest deliberate planning rather than opportunistic use of existing caves.

The surrounding limestone has also been shaped in ways that immediately attract attention. Large sections of rock have been removed to create smooth benches, broad terraces and sharply defined surfaces that bear little resemblance to the fractured appearance of untouched outcrops nearby. Whether these forms were created using techniques that are fully understood today remains open to discussion, but they demonstrate that considerable effort was invested in reshaping the landscape around the tunnel entrances.

Perhaps the most striking feature is the way the builders appear to have treated entire rock masses as material to be sculpted rather than obstacles to be avoided. Instead of constructing free standing buildings, they transformed the bedrock itself into an integrated architectural landscape where passages, stairways, platforms and chambers became part of a single design.

For anyone standing among these formations today, it quickly becomes apparent that the Chinkanas are not simply holes in the ground. They belong to a much larger programme of stone working that extends across the Sacsayhuamán plateau.

Chinkana Chica

The smaller of the two principal Chinkanas is known as Chinkana Chica, or the Little Chinkana. It lies only a short walk from the famous polygonal walls of Sacsayhuamán and remains the only section that visitors can partially enter today.

The entrance is modest compared with the surrounding landscape. Rather than opening into a vast cavern, it leads into a narrow passage that winds gently through the limestone before descending into the darkness below. As daylight fades behind you, the atmosphere changes immediately. The temperature drops noticeably, outside sounds become muted and the walls begin to close in around the visitor.

The passage follows the natural contours of the rock in places, yet it also contains features that appear intentionally shaped. Stone steps descend through the corridor, allowing movement between different levels. The walls have been smoothed in several areas, while small recesses and channels have been incorporated into the rock itself.

One particularly interesting feature is the drainage system. Shallow channels carved into the floor and lower walls appear designed to direct water away from the main walking surfaces. Whether this was part of the original construction or the result of later modification remains uncertain, but it demonstrates an understanding of how water behaves within enclosed underground spaces.

Today, visitors cannot explore very far. Heavy metal barriers prevent access to the deeper sections, bringing the journey to an abrupt end. Beyond the iron grilles, the passage continues into darkness, offering only a glimpse of what may once have extended much further beneath the plateau.

The restricted access has done little to diminish curiosity. If anything, it has encouraged visitors to wonder what lies beyond the barriers and whether the blocked passages still connect with other parts of the underground system.

Chinkana Grande

Roughly two hundred metres north of Chinkana Chica stands the far more imposing Chinkana Grande. Although visitors can still walk around the exterior of the site, the principal entrances have long been sealed, preventing access to what many believe is the heart of the underground system.

Unlike its smaller counterpart, Chinkana Grande is not simply an opening in the side of a rocky hill. The entire limestone outcrop appears to have been shaped with remarkable care. Broad terraces have been cut into the rock, while narrow ledges, deep recesses and carefully defined platforms surround the entrances. Looking closely at the stone reveals that the natural contours of the hill have been altered in numerous places, giving the impression that the builders were working with the entire rock formation rather than creating a single tunnel.

Several entrances can still be identified despite the modern barriers that now block them. Thick masonry walls, iron bars and protective fencing prevent anyone from entering the deeper passages. Standing in front of these sealed openings, it is impossible not to wonder how far they once extended beneath the plateau.

One of the first things many visitors notice is the cool air emerging through gaps around the barriers. Even on warm days, a steady current can often be felt flowing from within the hill. Air movement of this kind generally suggests that large voids still exist beyond the sealed entrances, allowing air to circulate through parts of the underground network that remain inaccessible. While this does not reveal the size or layout of the tunnels, it does indicate that the passages do not simply end a few metres beyond the barriers.

The rock surrounding Chinkana Grande displays many of the same characteristics seen elsewhere around Sacsayhuamán. Smooth carved surfaces meet sharply defined edges. Flat benches emerge directly from the living limestone. In some places, stairways appear to climb across sloping rock faces before disappearing beneath later collapse or modern infill.

Particularly striking are the features carved into overhanging sections of rock. Instead of rough impact marks or irregular fractures, several surfaces display broad, flowing contours with a level of consistency that raises obvious questions about the methods used to shape them. Whether these forms were produced through techniques that are fully understood today remains a subject of debate, but they are unquestionably the result of deliberate workmanship rather than random weathering.

The more time one spends examining Chinkana Grande, the more difficult it becomes to think of it as an isolated cave. Everything about the site suggests that it formed part of a much larger design in which the surrounding landscape and the underground passages were conceived as a single architectural complex.

A Network Beneath Ancient Cusco

For centuries, the most persistent claim associated with the Chinkanas has been that they were not isolated tunnels but entrances to an underground network extending beneath Cusco itself.

According to long standing tradition, the principal passage connected Chinkana Grande with Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun that once stood at the heart of the ancient city. Other branches are said to have extended towards important ceremonial centres and administrative buildings, creating a hidden system of movement beneath the surface.

At first glance, such claims may seem extraordinary. The distance between Sacsayhuamán and Qorikancha is considerable, and any tunnel linking the two would have required careful planning through varying depths of limestone beneath an already occupied landscape. Yet references to underground passages appear repeatedly in early colonial writings, suggesting that the idea was already well established soon after the Spanish conquest.

It is important to remember that Cusco itself did not begin with the arrival of the Spanish. Long before churches, convents and colonial houses were constructed, the city had served as the ceremonial and political centre of the Andes. If underground passages already existed beneath parts of the city, later construction would have concealed many of their entrances without necessarily destroying the tunnels themselves.

Over the centuries, stories of these hidden routes continued to circulate among local residents. Some described passageways leading directly beneath churches. Others claimed that sealed openings could still be found inside private buildings or beneath forgotten courtyards. Although many of these accounts remain impossible to verify, they demonstrate that belief in an underground Cusco has never entirely disappeared.

Modern geophysical investigations have added an interesting dimension to these traditions. Ground penetrating radar and other non-invasive survey techniques have identified substantial underground voids beneath parts of the historic city. These investigations do not provide a complete map of the tunnels, nor do they answer questions about their age or purpose, but they demonstrate that significant underground spaces do exist beneath areas where tradition has long placed them.

The underground world described in the old chronicles may therefore contain more than a grain of truth.

The Chroniclers

Some of the earliest descriptions of the Chinkanas come from writers who lived during the decades following the Spanish conquest. Their accounts are particularly valuable because they were recorded when memories of pre colonial Cusco were still relatively fresh.

Among the most frequently quoted is Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, whose unique background allowed him to record traditions that might otherwise have disappeared. Writing about Sacsayhuamán, he described an intricate network of underground passages so confusing that nobody entered without taking precautions to ensure they could find their way back. One method involved tying a long cord at the entrance and unwinding it while moving through the tunnels so that the route back could always be followed.

Whether every detail of Garcilaso's description is historically accurate has long been debated, but his account makes one thing clear. The underground passages were already famous during his lifetime, and their complexity was widely recognised.

Bernabé Cobo also referred to subterranean routes beneath Cusco, describing traditions in which hidden passages linked important ceremonial locations. According to accounts he collected, some entrances had already been deliberately concealed following the Spanish conquest in order to protect sacred places and prevent outsiders from gaining access.

Pedro Cieza de León likewise recorded stories of hidden underground chambers associated with wealth that had escaped the attention of the conquistadors. Although many later treasure hunters were inspired by such reports, the chroniclers themselves were often more interested in preserving local traditions than encouraging searches for lost gold.

Taken individually, none of these accounts provides a complete description of the Chinkanas. Together, however, they paint a remarkably consistent picture of an extensive underground world that occupied an important place in the memory of early colonial Cusco.

The Young Explorers

No discussion of the Chinkanas would be complete without mentioning the story that has become inseparable from Chinkana Grande. Whether told by local guides, passed down through families in Cusco or repeated in books devoted to the city's mysteries, it remains one of the most enduring accounts associated with the underground passages.

The story is usually placed during the early decades of the twentieth century, a time when growing interest in Peru's ancient monuments inspired both scientific expeditions and private exploration. Although Chinkana Grande had already acquired a reputation as a dangerous place, curiosity often proved stronger than caution.

According to one of Cusco's best known traditions, three young men entered Chinkana Grande intending to explore the underground passages. Carrying candles, provisions and a length of string to mark their route, they disappeared into the darkness and never returned. Years later, local tradition claims that one of the men emerged beneath Santo Domingo, built upon the foundations of Qorikancha. He appeared to have aged dramatically and was said to be carrying a golden ear of maize. Before he could explain what had happened beneath the city, he died, leaving behind one of the most enduring mysteries associated with the Chinkanas.

No contemporary documents have confirmed that these events occurred exactly as described, yet the story remains remarkably persistent. It has been repeated for generations by local residents and continues to be associated with the Chinkanas more than a century later.

Why Was Chinkana Grande Sealed?

Today, anyone visiting Chinkana Grande is met not by an open entrance but by iron bars, stone walls and protective barriers. The deeper passages are no longer accessible, and this has naturally led many people to ask why such an important site was closed.

The official explanation is straightforward. Underground passages present obvious dangers. Centuries of earthquakes, erosion and natural collapse may have weakened sections of the tunnels, creating unstable conditions that could place visitors at considerable risk. From the perspective of site management, restricting access is an understandable precaution.

Local tradition offers a broader explanation.

Many residents of Cusco believe the entrances were gradually sealed because too many people became lost while attempting to explore the underground network. Stories of treasure hunters, curious adventurers and inexperienced explorers entering the tunnels without returning have circulated for generations. Whether every account is historically accurate is almost impossible to determine today, yet together they contributed to the growing perception that Chinkana Grande was simply too dangerous to leave open.

There is also the practical question of preservation.

If the underground passages extend beneath important sections of modern Cusco, unrestricted exploration could damage archaeological deposits that have remained undisturbed for centuries. Protecting the tunnels from vandalism, looting and uncontrolled access may therefore be just as important as protecting visitors themselves.

Ironically, sealing the entrances has only deepened public fascination.

Had the tunnels remained open, they might eventually have become little more than another tourist attraction. Instead, the barriers have transformed them into symbols of unanswered questions. Every visitor who stands before the sealed entrance is left wondering what continues beyond the point where modern exploration ends.

A Mystery That Endures

The Chinkanas occupy a unique place within the archaeological landscape of Peru.

Unlike many ancient monuments whose architecture can be studied in full view, much of the Chinkana system remains hidden beneath the surface. We can examine the entrances, the carved bedrock and the surrounding stonework, but the greater part of the network continues to lie beyond reach.

Perhaps that is why the Chinkanas continue to inspire so much interest.

They invite observation rather than certainty.

The shaped limestone surrounding the entrances demonstrates that considerable effort was invested in transforming the natural landscape. The historical chronicles describe extensive underground passages beneath Cusco. Modern geophysical surveys have identified substantial underground voids consistent with at least part of those traditions. Local stories preserve memories of explorers, hidden chambers and forgotten routes that have survived for generations.

Each piece contributes something to the larger picture, yet none provides a complete answer.

Standing before the sealed entrance of Chinkana Grande today, it is difficult not to feel that the most important part of the site still lies beyond view. A current of cool air drifts from the darkness behind the barriers, hinting at empty spaces concealed within the hill. Somewhere beyond the blocked passages, the underground world that fascinated chroniclers, explorers and generations of Cusqueños remains largely unexplored.

Whether future investigations eventually reveal a network stretching beneath Sacsayhuamán and into the historic heart of Cusco remains to be seen. Until then, the Chinkanas will continue to occupy that rare place where archaeology, history and local tradition meet, reminding us that some of the greatest ancient mysteries are not found on mountain tops or in forgotten jungles, but hidden beneath places where thousands of people walk every day without ever realising what may lie below.

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