Rumicolca

Rumicolca stands across a narrow gap in the hills at the entrance to the Lucre valley, a massive wall pierced by a gateway, rising to around twelve metres. It was built by the Wari as part of an aqueduct carrying water across the gap, contemporary with the city at Piquillacta next door, and centuries later the Inca refaced it in cut andesite and used it as a control point on the road into Cusco from the south - a place where goods and people entering the capital were checked. The two building phases are visible in the fabric: rough Wari fieldstone behind, fitted Inca ashlar on the faces. It is beside the road and takes twenty minutes, usually as a stop with Piquillacta and Tipón. The andesite is thought to have come from the Huaccoto quarry not far away, the same source used for parts of Cusco.

What you actually see

• The gate - a wall about twelve metres high pierced by a single passage.
• The two phases - Wari fieldstone behind, Inca cut andesite on the faces.
• The aqueduct origin - built to carry water across the gap, not as a gate.
• The checkpoint role - the Inca control point on the southern road into Cusco.

When to go

April to October. Twenty to forty minutes, combined with Piquillacta immediately north. Beside the highway, so easy to reach.

Honest expectations

A single structure seen quickly. Traffic noise from the adjacent highway. No shade or facilities. Interpretation on site is minimal, and the Wari origin is often skipped by guides.

Nearby

Piquillacta is immediately north; Tipón and Cusco are further along the road.