Gate of the Sun
A single stone block.
Juan Jorge Arellano — CC BY-SA 2.0 · jmage — CC BY 2.0 · Pavel Špindler — CC BY 3.0 · rodoluca — CC BY-SA 3.0
One of South America's largest archaeological sites, capital of the Tiwanaku civilisation that flourished near Lake Titicaca centuries before the Inca, home at its peak around AD 800 to between ten and twenty thousand people. UNESCO listed it as World Heritage in 2000. Its best-known monument is the Gate of the Sun, a single huge block of stone cut with a doorway and finely carved with a central figure surrounded by rows of symbols, thought to be a calendar or religious emblems. Around it are the earthen Akapana pyramid, the Kalasasaya enclosure with massive stone walls, and the Sunken Temple, its walls studded with carved stone heads. A few minutes away, Puma Punku has stone blocks cut with astonishing precision, with geometric angles and recesses that have puzzled researchers. The site has two museums of ceramics and monumental stone sculpture. The site is at about 3,800 metres, the sun scorching and the wind cold, so bring a hat, a jacket and cash. Bolivia is under a state of emergency with protests and road blockades, so check road conditions and your government's travel advice before the trip.
A single stone block.
Stone heads.
Precise stonework.
High plateau near Lake Titicaca, about 70 km west of La Paz
Yes, one ticket covers both sites and both museums, paid in cash in bolivianos at the gate.