Vilcanota Knot

plateau, South America

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July 14, 2026

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The Vilcanota Knot is a significant mountain formation in the Andes Mountains of South America, located in Peru. It is where the Cordillera Real from Bolivia meets the Andes, creating a complex junction from which several other ranges emerge, including the Cordilleras de Carabaya and Vilcanota. This area is characterized by deep river canyons and high peaks, with the city of Cuzco situated nearby at a high altitude. The Vilcanota Knot is one of three such "knots" in the Peruvian Andes, the others being the Pasco and Loja knots, which mark the convergence of different mountain ranges.1

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Andes Mountains
Physiography of the Central Andes
…rough mountain mass of the Vilcanota Knot at latitude 15° S. From this knot (nudo), two lofty and narrow chains emerge northward, the Cordilleras de Carabaya and Vilcanota, separated by a deep gorge; a third range, the Cordillera de Vilcabamba, appears to the west of these and northwest of the…
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…rough mountain mass of the Vilcanota Knot at latitude 15° S. From this knot (nudo), two lofty and narrow chains emerge northward, the Cordilleras de Carabaya and Vilcanota, separated by a deep gorge; a third range, the Cordillera de Vilcabamba, appears to the west of these and northwest of the…
Read More