Stone houses
Up the hillside.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Public domain · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Pucará de Tilcara is a pre-Inca fortified town on a hill just outside Tilcara, chosen to be easy to defend and to look over a long stretch of the Quebrada de Humahuaca. It was built by the Omaguaca people, who settled here around the 12th century as farmers, weavers, potters and warriors, making it an important administrative and military centre; the area has been inhabited for more than ten thousand years. Part of its low stone houses, lanes and plazas has been rebuilt, and visitors climb among them to the hilltop, where a truncated-pyramid monument honours the archaeologists who studied the site, with wide views over the valley, the coloured mountains and the river. It was declared a national monument in 2000 and is run by the University of Buenos Aires. It opens Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-18:30, with last entry at 17:15, and closes on Mondays. You can visit on your own or book a guided tour online. The town sits at about 2,500 metres and the sun is strong, so bring water and a hat.
Up the hillside.
Over the Quebrada.
For the archaeologists.
On a hill at the edge of Tilcara, about a 15-minute walk from the centre
No. You can visit on your own after paying entry, or book a guided tour through the online forms.
