Cutimbo

Cutimbo stands on a flat-topped hill above the road south of Puno, and on the summit are chullpas - the tower tombs of the altiplano - built by the Lupaca and Colla, the Aymara-speaking lordships that controlled the western shore of Titicaca before the Inca, and continued under Inca rule. Some are round, some square, some in coursed fieldstone and others in fitted ashlar of Inca quality, standing several metres high, and a few carry relief carvings of pumas, monkeys and snakes on the outer faces. Most were broken into long ago, and the openings face east. The mesa also has rock art in shelters below the summit. It is a fifteen-minute steep climb from the road, gets very few visitors compared with Sillustani, and the isolation has been a problem - going with a guide or in a group is the usual advice locally.

What you'll find

• The chullpas - round and square burial towers in fieldstone and fitted ashlar.
• The reliefs - pumas, monkeys and snakes carved on some tower faces.
• The mesa - a flat summit above the plain with the whole altiplano in view.
• The rock art - painted shelters on the slopes below the towers.

When to go

April to November. Two to three hours including the climb. Far quieter than Sillustani; go with a guide or in company rather than alone.

What to expect

A steep fifteen-minute climb at nearly 4,000 metres. No facilities, no shade and no staff on site much of the time. Robberies of lone visitors have been reported here. The towers are broken open and partly collapsed.

Nearby

Sillustani is north of Puno; Puno itself is north-east.

Key facts