Archaeological Site of Puca Pucara, Cusco

The city of Cusco never ceases to amaze us, as we know is the cradle of the Inca empire and every tourist attraction will always surprise us, this time we go to the archaeological site of Puca Pucara, a sample that the Inca civilization was an advanced culture.

In this article we will learn more about the architecture, its location, how to get there from Cusco, what was its function, what to see and do and finally at what times and how much is the entrance to this beautiful site.

Description and History of the archaeological site of Puca Pucara

Puka pukara or Puca Pucara is one of the archaeological centers that are near the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo and Tambomachay. It is composed of terraces, rooms, staircases, terraces and more that you should know once you are in Cusco.

Puca Pucara comes from Quechua and in Spanish it means "red fortress" precisely because of the type of red earth that was found there, as well as its buildings that were toned to that color at sunset, this was definitely a magical center.

The specialists add that the place was built before the Incas, once the Inca Pachacutec took over as governor between 1400 and 1471, he was in charge of improving the whole complex of Puca Pucara; however, upon the arrival of the Spaniards who were in charge of destroying all the Inca remains, but they did not manage to damage the latter very much.

What is the architecture of Puca Pucara like?

The style of construction in Puca Pucara is different from other archaeological centers because at its base we can see that it is built with medium and small stones that adapt to the terrain of the site, it seems to have a simple appearance; however, over time this tube resistance and even earthquakes.

In the place we will find three rectangular walls:

• First wall: It is located in the lower part of the fortress, it is in good condition and its layout is wavy, to the north you will find six rooms of different sizes, to the west there is a small square with trapezoidal shape, inside originally the small square was surrounded by buildings on its side. At one end the road intersects with the Qhapac Ñan road.
• Second wall: This wall has access through some stairs made of stone, you will be able to see that this level is wide, it has its platforms and gardens that are in direction to the south and by the east to Puca Pucara, also here we will find three rooms, one of them has rectangular form and the other one is trapezoidal. Surely you will notice that its walls are made of calcareous stones of medium and small size that has a slight anti-seismic inclination, that is why its walls received several earthquakes.
• Third wall: This is located surrounding Puca Pucara, but there is no trace of its buildings, according to specialists consider that the constructions were made with less quality than the previous walls.
• Some chroniclers mention that when the Inca decided to visit Tambomachay, his soldiers would go to Puca Pucara, because it functioned as a barracks, at the same time it was a resting place or tambo.

Location of the Puca Pucara Archaeological Center

How to get to Puca Pucara from Cusco?

To get to Puca Pucara on your own, you must go to the Rosaspata market and from there take the E.T. El Señor del Huerto public transportation that will take you to this point.

You can also go on foot from the Plaza de Armas, you must go up until you reach the viewpoint of San Cristobal and a few steps away is the entrance gate to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman (you can visit this tourist site), and continue the way out of this fortress that will take you to the central track, in this case you must go in the direction of Qenqo, as a few meters away is Puca Pucara.

At what altitude is Puca Pucara located?

The archaeological site of Puca Pucara is at an altitude of 3,580 meters.

What was the function of Puca Pucara?

Exactly, the main function it fulfilled is not known, but there is evidence that it was used for military purposes, since it was used during the Inca resistance against the Spanish.

• Other researchers add that this site was a resting point for the Inca or for those travelers, walkers who came to Cusco.
• Some investigations point out that there was an important huaca there and it was guarded by priests and at the same time the Inca visited the place for a certain period of time.

What to see and do at the Puca Pucara archaeological site?

• At the site we can see its walls which are built on 3 levels, two of them are in good condition and the last one has no remains.
• The other thing we can see are the iconography, for example we can see the stone figure of an Andean bear that means protection, we also find a fish that at that time was related to rain.
• If we go to the high part we will be able to see the Qhapac Ñan road (Inca road) that goes in the direction of the Antisuyo (Peruvian jungle).
• You will be able to see the rectangular rooms that had two functions: rest room and Tambo.
• Finally, it is believed that there is a chincana or subway path that led to Tambomachay, but this is not yet proven.

Recommended tours that include Pisac

You can do several tours such as:

City tour in Cusco: this consists of visiting archaeological sites surrounding the city of Cusco among them you will visit Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay.

Magical Cusco: Here you will visit several tourist attractions, among them you will go to Puca Pucara, the tour is 3 days and two nights, you will have one of the best experiences in Cusco.

Hours and cost of admission to Puca Pucara

For all visitors who want to visit this site, you can do so every day of the week from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

To enter Puca Pucara you will need to acquire the Integral Tourist Ticket - BTCI that includes the visit to 16 places, for foreigners it has a cost of 130 soles and national tourists it has a cost of 70 soles.

In conclusion, Puca Pucara was a very important Inca enclosure because it had houses, squares, water channels and even formed part of the Qapac Ñan, and the buildings that were built were anti-seismic, it was practically a very advanced and important civilization.

To continue knowing all the tourist sites that Cusco has, travel with Tierra de los Andes tourist agency with experience and guarantee, just write us and we will give you all the necessary information.