Huaca Pucllana Lima

Huaca Pucllana Miraflores District, Lima

After our stay in the Cusco area we headed back to California. On the way, we got a chance to stop in Lima and visit friends in San Isidro and explore a little more of the city for a couple of days. The Lima area is filled with ruins from much earlier cultures than Inca. One that was easy to visit and right in central Miraflores is Huaca Pucllana, an administrative and religious center for the early Lima and later Wari Cultures.

View from the Top of the Pyramid

The Huaca Pucllana is a great adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima, Peru. It was built over time based on seven staggered platforms. It also served as an important ceremonial and administrative center for the advancement of the Lima People, who had a society which developed in the Peruvian Central Coast between the years of 200 and 700 CE.

Wari Tomb with Mummies

The Huaca was surrounded by a plaza that bordered the outer limits. There was also a large wall dividing it into two separate sections. In one section there were benches and evidence of deep pits where offerings of fish and other marine life took place as ritual sacrifices. The other section was the administrative area. This area contains various small clay structures and huts made of adobe whose functions is unknown. The enclosure which is over 500 m (1,600 ft) in length, 100 m (328 ft) in width and 22 m (72 ft) in height.

Wari Tomb

Besides the Lima culture, other remains have been uncovered belonging to the Wari, 500 CE-900 CE, which was a direct influence on the Lima People towards the ends of its time period.

Wari Traders

There were ancient Wari tombs found within the ceremonial center that were completely intact with mummies. Archaeologists have of course taken the original material to the safety of the museum. They have reproduced exact models of the tombs for visitors to see at the ruins of Huaca Pucllana. They are very interesting.

Restaurant at the Ruins Before the Lunch Crowd

There’s also a great restaurant there right at the ruins. After exploring the Huaca with the required guide we got to have a wonderful lunch on the Terrace at the Restaurante Huaca Pucllana. The food good and the restaurant was packed with big Limeño families enjoying Sunday lunch. It was very fun.

Highly recommended!

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