Huaca Pucllana Archaeological Site, Lima

Huaca Pucllana Archaeological Site, Lima (must see)

Huaca Pucllana is an archaeological site dating circa 200-700 AD, located in the Miraflores district of Lima. The staggering seven platform pyramid is made of adobe (small, handmade bricks, dried in the sun) and clay, and was popularly known as the place for ritual games. The mega structure stands almost 22 meters high, and is divided into two sections: one for ceremonial and the other for administrative use. The ceremonial section contains benches and deep pits that were designated for offerings of fish and miscellaneous marine life to the gods in a bid to win their favor. A part of this section features multiple small huts and clay structures with few walls still in place that once served as courtyards and patios.

The intended purpose of this pyramid was to demonstrate the religious might of the elite clergy and their ability to control the use of local natural water resources. The place serves as a significant ceremonial and administrative center for promoting Peruvian culture. There are tourist guides available for visitors to the museum, a little park whith native flora and fauna, and a house of craftsmen where handicrafts are exhibited and offered for sale.

Why You Should Visit:
Easily accessible from Miraflores, well preserved, with tour guides sharing interesting details about the construction, religion, and lifestyle of the original and subsequent inhabitants.
The pyramid is attractively lit up at night and one of the best spots to view this is at the on-site restaurant which features delicious haute cuisine.
The small garden and animal farm (with llama, cuyi, etc.) is cute and adds a little dimension to the place.

Tip:
This is a "guided-tour-only" site with the duration of a little over an hour (~20 mins above the pyramid). You could stop by here on your way to the Miraflores clifftop which is about a half-hour walk south (by turning right onto Ave. Arequipa), with the small John F. Kennedy park along the way for a brief stop before getting to the cliff where you can spend about half a day up and down.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Lima. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Huaca Pucllana Archaeological Site on Map

Sight Name: Huaca Pucllana Archaeological Site
Sight Location: Lima, Peru (See walking tours in Lima)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Lima, Peru

Create Your Own Walk in Lima

Create Your Own Walk in Lima

Creating your own self-guided walk in Lima is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Miraflores Walking Tour

Miraflores Walking Tour

The district of Miraflores is one of Lima's key tourist destinations, renowned for its affluent setting, upscale shopping, phenomenal oceanic views, seashore restaurants, parks, and interesting archaeological sites. The attractions here are numerous and include, among others, the following:

La Huaca Pucllana – an archaeological complex, featuring a clay pyramid made of seven staggered...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Lima Introduction Walking Tour

Lima Introduction Walking Tour

Lima, the capital of Peru, is a huge, thriving metropolis and one of South America’s largest cities; it was established by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. The carefully preserved city center has retained much of its original colonial character set in the stones of Plaza de Armas – the city's main square, as well as numerous Baroque and Renaissance cathedrals, colonial...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
Food and Shopping Walk

Food and Shopping Walk

Today's Lima is a large, commerce-booming and tourist-friendly capital, equally rich in terms of ancient culture as well as intricate cuisine and wealth of shopping opportunities suitable for various budgets.

Although in recent years many international brands have found their way to Lima’s stores, the majority of tourists keep looking to street fairs and artisan “Indian” markets...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles

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