Piquillacta

Information

Piquillacta or Pikillaqta is an archaeological park located 23 km from the city of Cusco, above 3200 metres above sea level.

They are the ruins of a town that functioned between the 6th and 9th centuries A.D., and had its apogee in the 8th century A.D.. It was a ceremonial and residential centre of the pre-Inca Wari culture. There are no elements that prove an Inca occupation, which differentiates it from many other archaeological sites in the Cusco area.

This area is large and is placed on the lower part of a hill. Rulers, priests and workers lived there. Remains of granaries, food stores, and structures such as buildings, rooms and walls made of mud and reddish stone blocks can be seen. The site is easy to walk around because there is a system of straight streets, some of them long, that divide the different blocks or areas where the structures are located.

How to get there:
- By car: from the Route 3S that joins Cusco to Puno, 22 km from Cusco a road comes out, and at 750 metres the ruins begin.
- By bus: you should take a bus that goes from Cusco to Puno. You can get off at a point in front of the Laguna Huacarpay (like a lake) where there is a stairway that allows direct access to the ruins; or else at the vehicular fork where you have to walk about 750 metres. Consider that the roads can be complicated in times of rain, or it may happen that the buses do not stop on the way back because they are full.
- A good option is to go by bus to a nearby town (such as Tipón, where you can also visit another archaeological park), and from there arrange a taxi to and from Piquillacta.

Before entering the ruins area there is a checkpoint where you have to show your tourist ticket, which can also be bought there. In the same place there is a site museum that exhibits posters, photographs and archaeological pieces of the area. Then, to walk around the archaeological area it is highly recommended to bring a hat and sunscreen, as there are almost no shady spots.