Land of expert potters, Pukara in Perú is famous for the clay “bulls” that its inhabitants place on the roof of their houses as symbols of protection and prosperity.
It was the cradle of a pre-Inca culture that bore the same name and that stood out for its great pyramidal constructions and its knowledge of architecture and hydraulic engineering. Here you can visit the archaeological complex of Pucaká and the temple of Kalasaya. An unmissable appointment occurs in the ceramic workshops where the clay is molded into true works of art.
The «Torito de Pucará» is internationally known, proud representative of Pucará in Puno.
Location
The archaeological complex of Pukara in Perú is located 106 kilometers from the city of Puno, it is located in the district of Pucará, within the province of Lampa.
Description
Pucará characterized by having two types of architectural manifestations; one of monumental characteristics of probable ceremonial function and another rustic possibly of houses; the best known being the ceremonial sector constituted by artificial truncated pyramids as terraces, the main pyramid KALASAYA predominant.
She excelled in hydraulic and architectural engineering, through her monoliths, houses, underground constructions and ceremonial center.
Attractions
There are 3 sunken squares or temples with peculiar characteristics, they are U-shaped or ironwork, built with red and white stone slabs, highlighting the central square sunken square.
Likewise, in this archaeological center there are 4 burial chambers or mausoleums that contained human remains, associated with gold and copper objects, these chambers are accessed through a double jamb door that is decorated with steps printed on the upper part of the stones; Towards the upper part there is a platform, built with red stones forming small enclosures, three in each one, probably of ritual function.
Lithic Museum of Pukara
The Lithic Museum of Pukara in Perú, or Pucara, is located in the province of Lampa, in the Puno region. The name of this museum is due to the fact that in its different exhibition rooms it is responsible for presenting lithic material that was found during excavations in different complexes of the Pucará culture, also because this is the site museum of the Archaeological Complex of the same name. .
The Lithic Museum of Pucará, because of the importance of the material it houses and exhibits, has been part of the National Cultural Heritage since 2002. This museum, unfortunately, is not in optimal conditions, which is why there is a threat of deterioration of certain pieces that it guards.
Among the lithic pieces that the visitor can find in this museum in Pucará, there are pieces such as monoliths, stelae and sculptures that have the peculiarity of presenting animal shapes.
Of the aforementioned set, structures such as the “Stela of the Rain”, also called “Stela of the Ray”, stand out. This piece has a height of 2 meters and in it the shapes of a fish and a puma are combined; Another important piece of the museum is called «The Cutthroat», a monolith in which Hatun Ñakaq is represented. This piece is one of the best carvings of the set and is an icon of the fierceness of the Pucará culture, where it is observed how the idol supports a human head; Although this is considered the bloodiest monolith in the museum complex, it is not the only one that it has, and among these there is also the sculpture of a feline devouring its game. Added to the previous sculptures is «the devourer», in which cruelty is observed as a man devours a child.
In the Pukara site museum in Puno, the visitor will also be able to find, along with more lithic pieces, ceramic remains, also found in the aforementioned archaeological complex. Among the ceramics, you can recognize crockery, plates, qeros, huacos, among many other pieces that allow us to know a little more about the culture of the Pucara.
To get to the district of Pukara in Puno where this museum is located, the traveler has to go through the Panamericana Sur, on the road that connects the towns of Pucará and Puno. The road between these two cities can be completed in just 2 hours. Once in Pucará, you walk for half a block from the main square of this city. The Museum is located just 700 meters from the Pucará Archaeological Complex.
Whoever wants to enter this museum must pay for an entrance ticket whose cost is S / 5.50, for the general public. The reduced entry is S / 1.00 and the entrance ticket for children is S / 0.50. The museum and the complex can be visited any day of the week, from 9 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. If you want to visit the museum and the complex with the intention of making recordings and photographs for commercial purposes, you must ask the permission of the authorities in charge, and pay for it.
How to get to Pukara in Puno?
You must get to the bus terminal that goes to Ayavíri in Juliaca. The cost of the ticket is 5 soles. You tell the driver to pass the word to you when you are in Pucará.
Schedule and price of admission to the Pukará Lithic Museum?
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. at 5 p.m. at the Jr Lima s / n.
Rate:
- S /. 15.00 Adults
- S /. 5.00 Higher education students
- S /. 1.00 School education students Tel: (051) 368278
How do you get to the Kalasaya or Pucará Archaeological Complex?
It is located very close to the town, behind them. You can walk to this place from the main square of Pucará. Take about 15 minutes walking. Income is not paid, it is free. There is also no guide in the area.
What to see in Puno?
Corregidor’s House
It is in the center of the City of Puno, so it is impossible to get lost on the way, in addition to being located next to the cathedral of Puno, some of its structures are very similar to the cathedral.
Inside the Corregidor’s house you will be able to participate and witness various cultural activities such as workshops, exhibitions, symposia, etc.
But in addition to that, you can also enjoy the Bar of the Casa del Corregidor.
Cerrito Huajsapata
It is considered as the natural viewpoint that you can see in Puno with the best location in the entire city, from this viewpoint you can see Lake Titicaca.
Some locals claim that it has a secret passage that connects El Mirador with the Temple of the Koricancha located in the city of Cusco.
Sillustani and the Lake of Umayo
As you can see in the photograph, the formation of this lake does not allow it to flow into any other place and is formed by the rivers and streams that deposit their waters there.
Therefore, the only way that the water that irrigates it flows or remains with the beauty that characterizes it is through the natural evaporation of it.
Pino Park
The name of this busy park is due to the fact that it was built 7 years after the end of the War with Chile.
For this reason, as a tribute to Dr. Manuel Pino, it was decided to put his last name and make a statue commemorating him, since he is considered a hero of this war.
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is considered the highest navigable lake in the world.
It is located within the Collao plateau in the Andes of the highlands that are located between Peru and Bolivia
The ecosystem that is formed around this lake amazes all tourists who have the privilege of knowing this beautiful place.
Taquile Island
Taquile Island is also part of the circuit formed by tourism agencies to visit the most beautiful places in Puno, it has a total area that reaches 11km2 and is inhabited by more than two thousand three hundred people.
Here they still preserve various ancestral customs of their ancestors and it is essential on this island to preserve the love of the land customs.
If you travel to Perú, we also recommend you to visit another impressive destinations in the city of Cusco like the tour to rainbow mountain peru or the humantay lake tour from cusco, which only takes one day. But if you are gonna to stay more days in Cusco, other archaeological places you can know will be the choquequirao trek peru, the salkantay trek to machu picchu, and the classic inca trail 4 days 3 nights.
