Pukara de Quitor

Quitor is a stone fortress built into a steep hillside above the San Pedro river in the twelfth century, a stack of walls, terraces and storerooms climbing the slope, held by the Atacameño people as their strongpoint. In 1540 Pedro de Valdivia sent Francisco de Aguirre with a small mounted force against it; the defenders were overwhelmed, and the Spanish beheaded a number of them and set the heads on the walls as a warning. The site is owned and run by the Atacameño community of San Pedro, and their interpretation of it - as a place of resistance and massacre rather than a picturesque ruin - is what the signage says.

Highlights

• A twelfth century hillside fortress - walls, terraces and storerooms.
• Taken in 1540 - by a small Spanish mounted force.
• A massacre on the slope - defenders beheaded and displayed.
• Community ownership - the Atacameño reading is the one presented.

When to go

Year round; early or late to avoid the heat. Two hours.

What to expect

The climb is steep, loose and unshaded. Walking on the walls is prohibited and they are fragile. This is presented as a site of violence rather than a scenic ruin, which is the correct framing. There is little shade at the top.

Nearby

San Pedro is south along the river; Aldea de Tulor is beyond it.

Key facts