Q’eswachaka: the story of the last Inca rope bridge
Spanning a gorge over the Apurímac River hangs a bridge made entirely of woven grass — and every year the communities around it tear it down and rebuild it by hand, exactly as their ancestors did five centuries ago. Q’eswachaka is the last living Inca bridge on Earth.
A bridge woven from grass
The Incas linked their empire with rope bridges spun from q’oya, a tough Andean grass. Q’eswachaka is the last one still maintained, and UNESCO recognises the knowledge behind it as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A living tradition
Each June, four communities gather for a three-day minka — communal work — twisting fresh grass into cables, weaving the deck, and finally crossing the new bridge together in celebration. To witness it is to watch the Inca world still breathing.
See the last Inca bridge
Visit Q’eswachaka and its dramatic Andean gorge.
Frequently asked questions
It is the last surviving Inca rope bridge, woven from grass over the Apurímac River and rebuilt by hand each year by local communities.
The communities rebuild it every June in a three-day communal effort that is part engineering, part festival.