One of our first stops in Lima was the ruins of Huaca Pucllana (Temple of the Worshippers of the Sea), which gave us a good intro to Peruvian civilizations. The site’s interesting because it’s in the center of the city, so it stands in stark contrast to the urban growth that surrounds it.
The ruins were built between 600-700 AD by the Lima culture as their administrative and ceremonial center. The Lima civilization existed between 100-700 AD, well before the Inca Empire (founded in 1200 AD, ruled from 1450-1572 AD). Huaca Pucllana has a flat-topped pyramid with walls originally covered in very fine plaster and yellow pigment. Small handmade bricks of unfired earth (adobe) are arranged in vertical rows, resembling books in a bookcase, to help withstand earthquakes. As the Lima culture started to decline, the Wari Empire (Peru’s 1st empire, 650-1000 AD) developed and used the uppermost section of the pyramid as a cemetery for elite Wari members.
Huaca Pucllana is walking distance to the Miraflores tourist area. If you have some free time, it’s worth a visit, but it’s not something you should go out of your way for. You need to take a tour, but it’s included in the 15 soles (< $5) ticket. The hour long tour includes the archaeological site and an exhibit with native plants and animals. Be aware that it’s closed on Tuesdays, and you might have to wait for a tour to start (we waited 30 minutes). It’s also open at night, and from looking at photos, I wish we had stopped by again, if only from the street.
