Lasana Pukara
A stone town of a hundred and ten rooms on a spur above the Loa, declared a monument in 1982.
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The pukara at Lasana was built around the twelfth century on a rock spur above a bend of the Loa, with the river on three sides and a wall across the fourth, and it is dense: something over a hundred rooms of stone built against each other with narrow passages between, plus storage cells and lookout points. It was occupied by Atacameño people, taken into the Inca system, and abandoned after the Spanish arrival. It was declared a national monument in 1982 and consolidated since. Below it the Loa valley is green with alfalfa and fruit, which is the reason a fortified town stood here at all.
What you actually see
- Over a hundred stone rooms - built against each other with narrow lanes.
- A spur with river on three sides - the defensive position.
- Atacameño, then Inca - before abandonment after the conquest.
- A green valley below - the farmland the site controlled.
When to go
Year round; early or late for the heat. Two hours.
Honest expectations
Walls are consolidated but fragile and climbing on them is prohibited. There is no shade on the spur. Interpretation on site is limited. The village below has minimal services.
Nearby
Chiu Chiu and its church are downstream; Calama is south-west.
What to pack for Lasana Pukara
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
