Maragua Crater & Inca Trail trek from Sucre: Dinosaur footprints

Walk an Inca road, then descend into a crater where dinosaurs once roamed

A full-day trek from Sucre that combines a two-hour Inca trail walk from Chataquilla with a descent into Maragua Crater, where you'll see dinosaur footprints preserved in 65-million-year-old rock, visit a Jalqa community village, and meet a weaver if available. Hotel pickup is included, as is a vegetarian lunch and a live guide in English or Spanish. Children from age 8 are welcome. The first section involves descending steps and uphill sections, and the day runs about 10 to 11 hours total.

Step-by-step itinerary

Trek Maragua Crater and Inca Trails

• Pick up from hotels at 8:30 AM
• Stop at indigenous market if needed
• Drive one hour to Chataquilla chapel
• Trek Inca trail for two hours
• Drive to Maragua Crater
• Have vegetarian lunch at Maragua
• Visit La Garganta del Diablo rock formation
• Visit dinosaur footprints for two hours
• Optional visit to Jalqa weaver
• Return to Sucre and drop off at hotels

The experience

What makes this trek stand out is the layering: you're not just walking an ancient road or looking at a crater or seeing fossils. You start with hotel pickup and a stop at an indigenous market if you need supplies, then drive an hour through forests toward the mountains to reach Chataquilla, a colonial chapel built near a pre-Hispanic Inca roadway made of perfectly aligned stones. From there, the trek itself takes two hours along the Inca trail between Chataquilla and Chaunaca, moving through the Andean landscape at a pace that lets you take in the valleys and peaks around you.

After the trail, the car meets you and carries you to Maragua Crater, where the geology shifts the day entirely. The crater's sedimentary layers run in bands of red, green and other hues, and the site has been home to Jalqa communities for generations. You'll eat a vegetarian lunch here, then spend about two hours at Niñu Mayu, the dinosaur footprints site nearby. These impressions, some several centimeters across, belong to species that walked this ground roughly 65 million years ago, and they're preserved clearly enough that you can trace the scale of the animals that made them. If a weaver from the community is available, she'll show you the textile traditions of Jalqa culture and explain the work that goes into them.

The return to Sucre takes roughly two hours depending on traffic, with drop-off at your hotel. Fruits and a liter of water are included. The operator can accommodate vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets if you note it at booking. A guide speaks English or Spanish throughout the day.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Sucre.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• vegetarian lunch at Maragua Crater.
• fruits and one liter of water.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (12 to 70 years) · Child (8 to 11 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 23 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Jalqa Tours

Is this one for you?The trek involves descending steps on the Inca trail and uphill sections throughout the day, so it suits hikers comfortable with uneven terrain and a full 10 to 11 hours of activity. Children from age 8 are welcome, though the physical demands and the duration mean younger children may find it challenging. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, poor cardiovascular health or mobility limitations.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (8 to 11 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Inca trail section of this trek actually like?

The Inca trail runs between Chataquilla and Chaunaca and takes about two hours to walk. It follows a pre-Hispanic roadway made of precisely aligned stones, built by Inca engineers, and offers panoramic views of the surrounding Andean valleys and mountains as you move through the terrain.

Can I see the dinosaur footprints up close, or do I view them from a distance?

You visit Niñu Mayu, the dinosaur footprints site, and spend about two hours there. The footprints are preserved in layers of sedimentary rock and are clear enough that you can see their size and shape, some measure several centimeters in length, giving you a direct sense of the prehistoric animals that left them roughly 65 million years ago.

What does a visit to the Jalqa community involve?

You'll visit a family home in the Maragua village, where residents teach you about their daily life, cultural traditions and textile practices. If a weaver is available, she'll explain the art of Jalqa weaving in detail. This part of the day depends on community availability.

How much walking and climbing is involved over the full day?

The Inca trail section takes two hours and includes descending steps as well as uphill sections. The dinosaur footprints site involves another two hours of walking. The day runs 10 to 11 hours total from pickup to drop-off, though not all of that is active trekking: transport, lunch and community visits are built in.

What's included in the price, and can you handle dietary needs?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, a vegetarian lunch at Maragua Crater, fruits, a liter of water, a live guide in English or Spanish, and all fees and taxes are included. The operator accommodates vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets if you note your requirements at booking.