Marcahuasi
This is a volcanic plateau, approximately 4 km² in area, located at almost 4,000 m above sea level in the Huarochirí Mountains, east of Lima. There, you’ll find a unique group of gigantic granite boulders, the origin of which is subject to various theories.
They have developed curious shapes and designs, named by explorers according to their appearance (sometimes with great imagination). Among these are the well-known “Monuments to Humanity,” a gigantic granite mass that, from different angles, allows you to clearly see a human profile, the goddess Thueris, Amphicelidae (the forerunner of the tortoise), the Valley of the Seals, the African lion, the vicuña, the toad, among others.
On the Marcahuasi plateau there are also three ruined citadels belonging, according to archaeologist Julio César Tello, to the Huanca culture.
Where is?
Marcahuasi ([maɾkaˈwasi]) is a plateau in the Andes Mountains located east of Lima, on the mountain range that rises to the right bank of the Rímac River. This formation dominates the entire landscape at 4,000 m above sea level.
How to get there?
This site is accessed via two bridleways popularly known as “The Long Way” (three to four hours) that end at the Amphitheater. The other path, known as the “Short Way,” for the more experienced (about two hours), ends at the plateau, entering through the “Monument to Humanity.”