Highstakes for an Inca refuge: for centuries off the beaten track, the pre-Columbian site of Choquequirao now stands front and center as the tourist's alternative to Machu Picchu.

Spectacularly sited in the Peruvian Andes is an ancient city of the Incas, long shrouded in mystery. If this much of the story sounds familiar, the name of the city, likely does not. But if Peruvian tourism officials have their way, soon Choquequirao will be as familiar to you as the venerable Machu Picchu, its "sister city" and imperiled landmark. Meaning "cradle of gold" in Quechua, Choquequirao is the focus of archaeological excavation and tourism initiatives which, officials hope, will establish the site's own landmark credentials, as well as ease the infrastructure burden on heavily visited Machu Picchu.

The ...