Tantamayo

Around the village of Tantamayo, on ridges above the Marañón gorge, stand a series of pre-Inca sites associated with the Yarowilca of roughly 1000 to 1400 AD, though Piruro was occupied from as early as 3000 to 2500 BC, and their architecture is distinctive: tall narrow stone buildings of several storeys - the one at Piruro has five - with rectangular doors and small windows and internal floors, perched on exposed spurs. Susupillo, Piruro, Japallán and Selmín are the main groups, each a walk of one to three hours from the village and each on its own ridge. Why the Yarowilca built vertically like this is not settled - defence, storage, status, or the constraints of the terrain. The area is high, at 3,600 metres and above, deeply cut by the Marañón and its tributaries, and it is remote enough that visitors are rare. There is basic accommodation in Tantamayo and guides can be found locally.

What you'll find

• The towers - narrow multi-storey stone buildings, up to five storeys at Piruro.
• The sites - Susupillo, Piruro, Japallán and Selmín on separate ridges.
• The Yarowilca - the highland people most of them are attributed to, about 1000 to 1400.
• The setting - exposed spurs above the Marañón gorge at 3,600 metres and higher.

When to go

May to September; the roads and paths are bad in the rains. Two days minimum given the journey and the walks between sites. Guides in the village.

Practical notes

A very long journey from Huánuco on rough road. Each site is a separate hike at altitude on steep ground. Accommodation and food in Tantamayo are basic. No signage, no facilities and no ticket office.

Nearby

The Marañón gorge is below; Huánuco Pampa and La Unión are south-west.

Key facts