Inca road system facts for kids
The Inca road system (also known as El Camino Inca) in Peru was an amazing network of roads and trails. It was the biggest and best road system in all of South America before Europeans arrived.
This incredible road system stretched across the mighty Andes mountains, reaching super high places – over 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) above sea level! It covered about 22,500 kilometers (14,000 miles) and gave access to a huge area of over three million square kilometers.
The Incas didn't use wheels for transport, and they didn't have horses until the Spanish came in the 1500s. So, these trails were mostly used by people walking. Sometimes, they were joined by pack animals, usually llamas, which carried goods.
The Inca people used these trails to send messages. Runners would carry messages, often using special knotted cords called quipu or just remembering the information. These runners could cover as much as 240 km (150 miles) in a single day by working in teams, much like the Pony Express did in North America in the 1860s. The roads were also used to transport goods across the empire.
Along the trails, there were about 2,000 inns, called tambos. These inns were placed at regular distances and offered food, shelter, and military supplies. They helped the tens of thousands of people who traveled the roads every day.
Main Inca Roads
The most important Inca road was called the Camino Real, which means "Royal Road" in Spanish. It was super long, about 5,200 km (3,230 miles). This road started in Quito, Ecuador, went through Cusco (the Inca capital), and ended in what is now Tucumán, Argentina. The Camino Real crossed the Andes mountains, reaching heights of more than 5,000 meters.
Another major road was El Camino de la Costa, or the "Coastal Road." This one was about 4,000 km (2,420 miles) long and ran right next to the sea. Many smaller routes connected the Coastal Road with the Royal Road, making it easy to travel between the mountains and the coast.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
One of the most famous Inca trails today is the Capaq Nan trail. This trail is very popular for trekking and leads from the village of Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is often called the "Lost City of the Incas." Along the way, you can see many old Inca ruins that are still in great shape. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world hike this three- or four-day trail every year, always with guides.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is actually made up of three different routes. All of them eventually meet up near Inti-Pata, which is the 'Sun Gate' and the entrance to Machu Picchu. These three trails are known as the Mollepata, Classic, and One Day trails. The Mollepata trail is the longest one.
As you hike, the trail goes through the Andes mountains and even parts of the Amazon rainforest. You'll pass several well-preserved Inca ruins and settlements before reaching the Sun Gate on Machu Picchu mountain. The two longer routes require climbing to over 3,660 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level. This high altitude can sometimes cause altitude sickness, which means you might feel dizzy or sick because there's less oxygen.
Images for kids
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Road system of Inca Empire
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Inca trail to Machu Pichu.
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A plaque in Cusco, Peru, showing the four directions of the Inca Empire's regions (suyus).
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A view of the Inca road climbing a hillside at the Mosollaqta lake in Peru.
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The Inca road next to Lake Titicaca, seen from the mirador (viewpoint) of Chucuito, Peru.
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The Inca coastal road at the Pachacamac Sanctuary.
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A manager of the Inca bridges.
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A manager of the royal roads.
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An apacheta (stone pile) in the southern part of the Inca road system in the current province of Salta, Argentina.
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A typical example of an Inca suspension bridge (like a hanging bridge) on the Apurimac River near Huinchiri, Peru.
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A sketch of the Rumichaka bridge in the Tarija region, Bolivia.
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An "oroya" or basket used to cross rivers. This is a watercolor painting from the Lima "MALI" museum.
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On the way to Machu Picchu along an Inca road.
See also
In Spanish: Red vial del Tahuantinsuyo para niños
