Marcahuasi

Marcahuasi is a small plateau in the hills east of Lima, reached by a rough road up the Santa Eulalia valley to the village of San Pedro de Casta and then a steep climb of about three hours. The top is open grassland at around 4,000 metres scattered with weathered granite outcrops, the best known of which reads as a human face in profile and looks like one for perhaps twenty minutes of the day, when the light is right. Claims made about the rocks over the years range widely and none of them are established. What is real is the position: flat camping ground with the Andes on one side and the coastal fog below on the other.

What you actually see

• The Monumento a la Humanidad - the profile rock that gave the plateau its reputation, best at low sun.
• The plateau camping ground - flat open grass at 4,000 metres with views on every side.
• Granite outcrops - weathered stone groups scattered across the top, walkable in a few hours.
• The climb from Casta - a steep zigzag path with the Santa Eulalia valley opening up below.

When to go

May to October is dry and the best time to camp; the wet months bring cloud, lightning on an exposed plateau and a slippery path. Most people go up on a Saturday and come down on Sunday, which is also when the plateau is busiest. Sunrise and sunset are when the rock shapes actually resolve, so staying overnight is the point.

Honest expectations

The climb is steep, dusty and at altitude, taking around three hours with a pack; mules can be hired in the village and most people should. Nights on the plateau are cold and there is no shelter, water or firewood. The famous shapes need the right light and a willing eye. Weekend rubbish on the top is a visible problem.

Nearby

San Pedro de Casta is the village at the trailhead, and Chosica is the last town of any size.