Vilcashuamán

Vilcashuamán was a major Inca administrative centre at the crossing of two arms of the Qhapaq Ñan, founded after the Inca defeated the Chancas and the Pocras, and built around a great plaza where ceremonies with offerings of camelids and maize beer took place. Two structures dominate what is left. The ushnu is a stepped pyramid in fitted stone with a stairway and a double-jambed doorway at the top, where a carved stone seat, the Seat of the Inca, stands - according to Cieza de León it was once covered with gold leaf; it is among the best-preserved structures of its kind, and it was from platforms like this that the Inca presided over ceremony and judgement. Facing it, the Temple of the Sun and Moon survives as the base of the colonial church of San Juan Bautista, which was built directly on top of the Inca walls, so the two are physically one building. The modern town has grown around and over the rest of the site.

What to look for

• The ushnu - a stepped pyramid with the carved Seat of the Inca on top.
• The temple and church - a colonial church built directly on the sun temple walls.
• The road junction - the meeting of two arms of the Qhapaq Ñan.
• The town - a modern settlement built over most of the Inca city.

When to go

May to September. Two to three hours on site, but the drive from Ayacucho is about four hours each way, so allow a full day or stay overnight.

Before you go

A long rough drive from Ayacucho on winding road. Much of the Inca city is under the modern town and not visible. Accommodation and food in Vilcashuamán are basic. At 3,490 metres and cold.

Nearby

Intiwatana de Pomacocha is close; the Titankayocc puya forest is near Vischongo.