The Fascinating Chincana: Discovering Cusco’s Inca Tunnels

Beneath the streets of Cusco is a network of ancient tunnels built by the Incas, connecting 4 ancient cities and fueling legends that have endured for centuries. These mysterious subway passages, known as Chincanas, have been the object of fascination for archaeologists and locals alike. But what secrets do they hide? Read on to find out.

What is the Chincana?

The Chincana, whose name means “labyrinth” in Quechua, refers to a supposed network of subway tunnels built by the Incas. It is believed that these passages connected important ceremonial centers such as Sacsayhuaman, Coricancha, Muyumarca and Callispuquio. Although small parts of these tunnels have been found, many remain shrouded in mystery.

On January 6, the Provincial Municipality of Cusco together with archaeologists Jorge Calero Flores and Mildred Fernandez Palomino have corroborated the existence of these structures through interdisciplinary investigations.

The team of archaeologists combined historical studies and state-of-the-art technology to map these tunnels. Using georadar and sound testing, they identified hollow structures surrounded by trapezoidal walls, confirming the existence of these passageways.

The most significant finding to date is a 1,750-meter passageway connecting Sacsayhuaman with Coricancha, with a depth of between 1.4 and 2.5 meters. In addition, branches have been identified that could extend the network to other archaeological sites.

The design of the Chincanas demonstrates a high level of engineering. The tunnels were built with stone-lined ditches, covered by carved beams, and then filled in to form roads and platforms on the surface. This meticulous work is evidence of the complexity of Inca urban planning and their dominion over the environment.

What was the function of the chincanas?

Chincanas not only served to connect strategic sites, but also fulfilled ceremonial and administrative roles. These structures reflect the profound relationship between architecture and the Andean cosmovision, symbolizing the connection between the earthly and spiritual worlds.

According to chronicles such as those of Garcilaso de la Vega, the Chincanas were “subway streets and avenues” that linked temples and fortresses without altering the urban layout. This architectural legacy highlights how the Incas used infrastructure as a means to strengthen their cultural identity and social cohesion.

What would these chincanas look like?

The design of these structures is by means of trenches lined with trapezoidal stone walls covered by carved beams.

How were these structures discovered?

In 2003, a project called the Koricancha Project was initiated, in which relevant reports were presented on various findings. However, this initiative was suspended for unknown reasons and was relegated. After 20 years, archaeologist Jorge A. Calero Flores, together with Mildred Fernández Palomino, used state-of-the-art technology to analyze the chronicles of historian Manuel Chávez Ballón, who had proposed to investigate under the roads and platforms.

Thanks to these reports, they began to trace the tunnels using georadar. Subsequently, sound tests were conducted to identify echoes that could reveal hollow structures. These tests consisted of hitting a metal sheet with a camber, observing the behavior of the waves to determine the trapezoidal shape of the structures.

Once they were found, georradars were used again to confirm the existence of empty spaces delimited by trapezoidal walls and roofs built with beams carved under the ground. When these findings were corroborated, the results were immediately announced to the people of Cusco.

Excavations are scheduled to begin in March and April 2025 at key points of this network of chincanas in order to further study their functionality and true extent.

What are the already known chincanas?

In the fortress of Sacsayhuaman two chincanas have been known for years, called Chincana Chica and Chincana Grande.
The Chincana Chica is accessible to the public, since its section is short and safe, which makes it suitable for any visitor. It is located 150 meters from the Sacsayhuaman trail.

On the other hand, the Chincana Grande has a much larger extension, but it is blocked to the public. This is because, in the past, people who tried to explore it in search of corroborating legends about gold treasures got lost inside.

Due to these incidents, which occurred mainly in the 1990s, the municipality of Cusco decided to dynamite the entrance and seal it with mud to avoid further tragedies. Currently, the entrance to this chincana remains closed and is located 200 meters from the small chincana.

Stories of the Chincanas of Cusco that archaeologists chased.

The Chincanas are not only physical structures, but also the protagonists of numerous local legends. One of the most famous is the story of the golden cob. It is said that the Incas hid a priceless treasure in the depths of these tunnels.

Those who tried to find it often got lost, fueling the belief that the Chincana is protected by spirits or traps. Because the ancient Cusco people said that anyone who desecrates this subway world will never come back alive and healthy.

The blog of Cusco Lodge Hotel Boutique will present you all the stories about these mystical tunnels:

The Myth of the Golden Cob and the Young Travelers

In the 20th century, three young visitors decided to explore the chinkanas of Sacsayhuaman motivated by stories of tunnels leading to unknown lands inhabited by the descendants of the Incas in the underworld. Equipped with ropes, hooks and lanterns, they disappeared for months, leaving the rope’s beginning at the entrance of Sacsahuayman’s large chinkana.

One day, in the temple of Santo Domingo, in the middle of mass, they heard moans that seemed to come from a wall of the church. They quickly broke the wall to see what the noise was, and when they looked out they found an old man in agony with a long beard, who turned out to be one of the young travelers. Although he was not in his right mind and died a few days later, he was carrying an ear of gold in his hands.

The fate of the other two travelers remained shrouded in mystery, fueling legends linking the chinkanas with hidden treasures and supernatural worlds.

The story of the three missing settlers (1624)

In 1624, three travelers named Francisco Rueda, Juan Hinojosa and Antonio Orué ventured into the major chinkana of Sacsayhuamán in search of its secrets. They were never heard from again. This event caused great excitement in the colony and remained engraved in the memory of the Cusco people as a warning about the dangers of the labyrinth.

The students and the crown of the Virgin (XVIII century)

In the 18th century, a second attempt to explore the Chinkana Grande took place. Two students, motivated by the story of three Spanish travelers who had entered the site eighty years earlier and never returned, decided to venture into the mysterious tunnels. According to legend, the three travelers sought the blessing of a priest before entering and, as a precautionary measure, tied a rope around their waists, leaving the other end attached to the start of the chinkana. However, days after entering, the rope inexplicably broke, and they were never heard from again, as the locals refused to enter for fear of getting lost.

In 1704, the students José Sebastián and San Carlo set out on their exploration with sufficient provisions: food, weapons, blankets and lanterns. Local inhabitants came to watch the young men as they determinedly entered the intricate passages.

Ten days later, in the middle of the night, desperate knocks resounded under one of the altarpieces of the church of Santo Domingo. The clergymen, terrified, prayed, believing it was an entity from beyond the grave. The next day, after plucking up courage and asking if the presence was really supernatural, they decided to break the wooden framework. To their surprise, they discovered a dark tunnel, where they found one of the young men, José Sebastián, completely emaciated, with a mangled hand and carrying an ear of gold that he claimed he had found inside the tunnel.

José Sebastián was immediately helped, but, weakened by the experience, he died the following day. Before dying, he recounted what happened: inside the chinkana, the passages seemed to close and open mysteriously, which led the young men to decide to separate in search of a way out. Sebastian recounted that, after walking a few meters, an icy wind whipped through the tunnel and blew out his lantern. Shortly afterwards, the rope they were using as a guide was cut, as if it had been severed by a knife. He tried to light his lantern, but failed, and fear began to grip him as he realized that the tragedy of the previous travelers was repeating itself.

As he groped his way along, he heard a cry from his companion, who claimed to have seen the ghost of a giant Inca pointing out a path. According to the story, the Inca’s eyes seemed to burn with fire. The cries of his companion continued for a few minutes, crying for help and begging for something to get away from him. Then silence reigned, and Sebastian assumed that his friend was dead.

Finally, he managed to light his lantern and discovered a room full of gold. What caught his attention most were two ears of gold, of which he took one for the world to witness the existence of that treasure. He continued walking, crossing a passage made of pure silver, but with no fixed direction. After seven days of wandering, weakened and hungry, he claimed to have seen a ghostly figure before fainting.

Upon regaining consciousness, he found himself even weaker, without food, but determined to keep going. In desperation, he dropped one of the cobs and finally found a door. With his remaining strength, he banged on the door with the golden cob, managing to be heard.

Before dying, José Sebastián asked that the cob be used to make a crown for the Virgin and the baby Jesus. His wish was granted, according to the villagers. Some even claim that, as he breathed his last breath, a white dove came out of his chest, leaving an aura of mystery that endures to this day.

If you wish to listen to this fascinating story told by the locals, you can do so through the following video. It is important to note that the quality of the material is limited, as the audios were extracted and recovered from recordings made more than 30 years ago. These come from an old Cusco radio station that was dedicated to sharing traditional stories of the city, which, in turn, were transmitted from generation to generation by parents to children, keeping alive the memory of these local mysteries.

The anonymous survivor of 1923

In 1923, a team of speleologists, in collaboration with the University of San Marcos, attempted to explore the subway crevices of the chinkana. Contact with them was lost, but 12 days later one of the explorers turned up in terrible condition. He told stories of endless labyrinths and terrible obstacles in the style of Indiana Jones, although his accounts were censored. After new failed exploration attempts, the access to the chinkana was closed by the Armed Forces in 1927, using explosives to wall it up.

The bell-ringer and the gold of the Incas (1940)

In 1994, on March 21, the journalist Javier Sierra visited the Santo Domingo convent to interview the new prior Benigno Gamarra, during the interview the journalist asked what was the wrapping that was wrapped in cloth. The prior unwrapped and showed him two gold crowns with fine inlays in this way confirming that these were made thanks to the gold obtained by the student. In addition, these would no longer be exhibited in public to avoid unsuccessful explorations of the chincanas.

But that does not end there, I narrate a story not known until then, the story happened in 1940, a Dominican brother and the bell ringer of the church of Santo Domingo entered the chinkana through a secret entrance inside the convent, which is hidden for many years.

According to the story, this bell ringer was a very poor man, but of local descent and he knew this entrance and guided the Dominican brother to walk about a kilometer and a half under the subsoil of Cusco until they reached a chamber under the walls of Sacsayhuaman. There they found an enormous Inca treasure composed of pieces of gold, silver and statues of the Inca sovereigns. The Dominican ordered the bell ringer not to touch anything and to keep the secret within the religious community. This story was only transmitted from prior to prior, due to the fear that this church would be evicted to be taken by the INC as patrimony.

The tunnel system discovered in Lima (1972)

During the 1972 earthquake in Lima, a rescue squad discovered a system of tunnels under the city. Analysis indicated that these tunnels were connected to subway networks extending into southern Peru and the Andes, fueling the belief in the existence of a subway network connecting different important points of the continent.

The subway network and mystical enigmas

Some researchers maintain that the chinkanas are the beginning of a subway network that connects significant places such as the pyramids of Giza, Babylon and the Amazon. According to Harold Wilkins, in his 1940 book, this network connects the entire continent. Other stories link the chinkanas with the representation of an Andean cross (chakana), symbolizing a cosmic cycle that connects the “navel of the world” (Cusco) with Egypt, in a link that influences the destiny of humanity.

Visiting Cusco and Exploring its Mysteries

If you are planning a trip to Cusco, exploring the legends and history of the Chincana is a unique experience. Although it is not possible to tour all the tunnels, many related archaeological sites, such as Sacsayhuaman and Coricancha, are open to the public and can be visited on a Cusco city tour that will take you to all these points and more archaeological sites that are located near the city of Cusco.

To complement your visit, consider staying at Hotel Cusco Lodge, an accommodation strategically located in the historic center just 5 minutes from the main square. From there, you will have easy access to the main attractions and museums of the city.

The Chincanas of Cusco are not only a testimony of Inca engineering, but also a bridge to the legends and mysteries that make up the rich history of this region. While archaeologists continue to explore their secrets, these stories invite us to imagine what life was like in Tahuantinsuyo and to marvel at the genius of their creators.

Dare to discover the mysteries of the Chincanas and live an unforgettable experience in the magical city of Cusco!