2 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
1hr 30min drive from Juliaca
When to go
June through October
Minimum stay
Half a day
Pucará (Peru)
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Pucara
Practical information on Pucará
Reviews of Pucará
On the Puno to Cuzco road, not far from Lake Titicaca, Pucara is a tiny, hidden away Peruvian village that sits at 4,000m altitude,
My suggestion:
Don't bother coming here unless you have lots of time to visit the region. Giving the site a miss is no great loss.
My review
During my trip to Peru, I found myself at Pucara a bit by chance. At 100km north of Puno, quite close to the famous Lake Titicaca, this archaeological site is known country-wide for its bull design ceramics. These clay animals were placed on the roofs of houses to bring prosperity as well as to protect families, children and livestock. It was a custom that slowly spread from the high plateaus to other Peruvian towns. Whether you're in Puno, Arequipa, Cuzco or even the capital, Lima, you'll often see these figurines on rooftops.
It's an unusual and moderately interesting stopover. I suggest you pay it a visit if you're heading that way but not if it means taking a detour.
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David Debrincat
Pucará is a little town situated 80km from Titiaca Lake.
My suggestion:
If you have time ahead of you, you can visit the town's archaeological site, if not then carry on your way.
My review
I had the opportunity to briefly discover Pucará when taking the bus from Puno to Cusco. To tell you the truth, my exploration was quick, the time between getting off the bus and getting back on around 20 minutes later...
Pucará is above all known for its archaeological site. There are objects and tools which would have belonged to native Indians from Pucarábetween 500 years before and after JC. The Pucará culture is particularly known for its arts of pottery and weaving. Incidentally, you'll see ceramic pots engraved with typical motifs from the pre-Colombian era at the archaeological site.
The Pucará archaeological site used to be a stone pyramid but these stones were used some centuries later to build churches when the Jesuit missionaries arrived.
Unless you are keen on archaeology, I would recommend that you go along your way and head in the direction of Cusco or Puno according to the direction of your circuit of Peru.
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Pucara
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