Tarmatambo

Welcome, curious traveler, to the remarkable archaeological complex of Tarmatambo. I invite you to take a deep breath of the crisp, thin Andean air. …

We stand before the imposing colonial church of the town of Tarmatambo. Observe its grand, whitewashed facade standing starkly against the blue Andean sky. …

We have now entered the great rectangular main plaza of Tarmatambo. Notice the sheer scale of this expansive, flat open space. …

Positioned prominently at the edge of the main plaza, we arrive at the Ushnu. This is the ceremonial platform and the literal throne of the Inca empire in Tarmatambo. …

We now step into the remnants of what was once a highly restricted, heavily guarded, and deeply sacred area of the complex. You are standing in the foundations of the Acllahuasi, known in English as the House of the Chosen Women. …

We have walked a short distance to arrive at the administrative and residential core of the elite, known in local tradition as the House of Tupac Yupanqui. This cluster of buildings represents the apex of living accommodations…

As we move to the upper, exposed slopes of the complex, we encounter one of the most brilliant engineering feats of the ancient world: the famous colcas of Tarmatambo. We will begin by examining these distinct, circular stone…

Just adjacent to the circular storehouses, we find a distinct shift in architecture: the rectangular colcas. The change in shape from circular to rectangular was not an aesthetic choice; it was a highly practical engineering…

We have now set foot on a surviving, authentic segment of the Qhapaq Nyan, the Great Inca Road system. You are walking on a marvel of ancient engineering, a massive infrastructural project that rivaled the roads of the Roman…

Further along our ascent on the Qhapaq Nyan, we come across a rather jarring sight: a deep, conspicuous hole dug violently into the earth right beside the ancient, meticulously laid stones of the path. This crater is not the…

We have descended slightly from the main trail into a secluded, shadowy rocky outcrop known as the Santuario de Rama Guari. As we step under the overhang of these massive boulders, notice how the acoustics of the environment…

We conclude our journey here at the Mirador de Tarmatambo, the highest designated viewpoint overlooking the entirety of the archaeological complex. Take a moment to catch your breath and absorb the magnificent, sweeping panorama…