Pachacamac Ruins in Lima, Perú

Situated about 31km southeast of the city center, the archaeological complex of Pachacamac is a pre-Columbian citadel with adobe and stone palaces and temple pyramids. If you’ve been to Machu Picchu, it may not look like much, but this was an important Inca site and a major city when the Spanish arrived. It was a ceremonial center for the Lima culture from around AD 100, and was later expanded by the Waris before being taken over by the Ichsma.

The Incas added numerous other structures upon their arrival to the area in 1450. The name Pachacamac, which can be variously translated as ‘He who Animated the World’ or ‘He who Created Land and Time,’ comes from the Wari god, whose wooden, two-faced image can be seen in the on-site museum.

Most of the buildings are now little more than piles of rubble that dot the desert landscape, but some of the main temples have been excavated and their ramps and stepped sides revealed. You can climb the switchback trail to the top of the Templo del Sol (Temple of the Sun), which on clear days offers excellent views of the coast. The most remarkable structure on-site, however, is the Palacio de las Mamacuna (House of the Chosen Women), commonly referred to as the Acllahuasi, which boasts a series of Inca-style trapezoidal doorways. Unfortunately, a major earthquake in 2007 left the structure highly unstable. As a result, visitors can only admire it from a distance. Without the funding to repair the extensive damage, it has been listed as one of the planet’s most endangered sites.

There is a visitors center and cafe at the site entrance, which is on the road to Lurín. A simple map can be obtained from the ticket office, and a track leads from here into the complex. Those on foot should allow at least two hours to explore. (In summer, take water and a hat – there is no shade to speak of once you hit the trail.) Those with a vehicle can drive from site to site.

Details
Address: Old Road  South Panamericana Km 31.5 – Lurín
Phone:01-321-5606
Website: http://pachacamac.cultura.pe
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 9:00 am a 4:00 pm And  Sunday 9:00 am a 3:00 pm
Price: adult S/. 15.00 /child  S/. 5.00

Pachacamac Tour

Half a Day Tour

This tour offers a trip to the most important ceremonial center of the Andean cultures – the Temple of Pachacamac. This guided visit will give you a better insight into the culture of the pre-Inca peoples who lived in this area. We will also visit Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca pyramid.

Attractions Included in this tour:

Huaca Pucllana or Huaca Juliana is a great adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima.
The site of Pachacamac was an important oracle center for centuries with a vast complex of monumental buildings, including at least 18 pyramids.
The Swamps of Villa (Pantanos de Villa) Wetlands, virgin land and a mixture of birds in this peaceful and natural refuge.
Salto del Fraile

Program: Pachacamac Tour – Half a Day Tour

At around 9:15 am or 2:15 pm we will pick you at your hotel, go to our bus and start the tour of the amazing Pachacamac site; we will visit the following attractions:

Ancestral Shrines. Our excursion begins with a panoramic view of the Pucllana Pyramid, built in the 4th century A.D., and considered a sacred place by the Incas.

Pachacamac Oracle. We will then have a professionally guided tour of the splendid and large archaeological site of Pachacamac, also known as the Temple of the Deity. The Andean civilizations believed that Pachacamac was the God creator of the universe.

The citadel consists of temples, pyramids and palaces, such as the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of Pachacamac, and the Acllahuasi or Palace of the Virgins, among others. The whole area was considered holy and part of the world’s mystical axis.

Barranco. Our tour includes a visit to the bohemian Lima district of Barranco, where we will see places such as the Puente de los Suspiros (Sighs Bridge), El Salto del Fraile (Friar’s Cliff) and Los Pantanos de Villa (Lima’s ecological reserve) and enjoy some spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

The tour lasts about 3 and a half hours and finishes with the transfer back to your hotel in Lima.

What’s included

Professional English speaking Tour Guide.

All Transfers from and to your hotel.

Entrance tickets to all places we visit.

Not included
Meals.

Tips or extra expenses.

Map