Tiwanaku

Information

This is one of the most important archaeological areas in Bolivia. It is located in the department of La Paz, about 62 km from the city of La Paz itself and about 20 km from the shores of Lake Titicaca. It is next to a small village that bears its name where there is accommodation and some basic shops. Just outside the ruins are several food and craft stalls.

Tiwanaku was the centre of a great pre-Inca civilization that existed between 1500 BC and 1200 AD. They were dedicated to agriculture and cattle raising.

To enter the archaeological zone you have to pay an entrance ticket, and it takes about 3 hours to walk through the whole area. The main sculptures and monuments are the Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate), the Puerta de la Luna (Moon Gate), the Fraile monolith and the Ponce monolith. Among the structures are the Akapana pyramid, the Putuni, the Templete Semisubterráneo and the temple of Kalasasaya. There is another sector about 750 metres away from the rest where there is another complex called Puma Punku.

It also has two museums: a lithic museum with sculptures carved in rocks, and a ceramic museum with pieces found in the area.

To get there from La Paz:
- By bus: there are buses that leave from in front of the main entrance of the La Paz cemetery.
- By car: on the outskirts of La Paz take Route 1 and drive 60 km to the access to Tiwanaku, which opens up on the right. From there it is 2 km to the village.