Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
between the Andes and low-lying areas further east. There are two observation towers that
allow visitors to view the ruins from above. Allow at least two hours to fully explore the
complex, and take sunscreen and a hat with you. There is a kiosk with food and water next
to the ticket office.
First occupied by diverse ethnic groups as early as 2000 BC, it wasn't until 1470 AD
that the Incas, the most famous tenants, first arrived. By the time the Spanish came and
looted the site in the 1600s it was already deserted. The purpose of El Fuerte has long
been debated, and there are several theories. The conquistadors, in a distinctly combative
frame of mind, assumed the site had been used for defense, hence its Spanish name, 'the
fort.' In 1832 French naturalist Alcides d'Orbigny proclaimed that the pools and parallel
canals had been used for washing gold. In 1936 German anthropologist Leo Pucher de-
scribed it as an ancient temple to the serpent and the jaguar; his theory, incorporating wor-
ship of the sun and moon, is now the most accepted. Recently the place has gained a New
Age following; some have claimed that it was a take-off and landing ramp for ancient
spacecraft.
There are no standing buildings, but the remains of 500 dwellings have been discovered
in the immediate vicinity and ongoing excavation reveals more every day. The main site,
which is almost certainly of religious significance, is a 100m-long stone slab with a vari-
ety of sculpted features: seats, tables, a conference circle, troughs, tanks, conduits and
hornecinos
(niches), which are believed to have held idols. A total of seven steps leading
up to the main temple represent the seven phases of the moon. Zoomorphic designs on the
slab include raised reliefs of pumas and jaguars (representing power) and numerous ser-
pents (representing fertility).
Chicha
and blood were poured into the snake designs as an
offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth). Sadly, these designs are unprotected from the ele-
ments and erosion is making them harder to discern with every passing year.
About 300m down an obscure track behind the main ruin is
Chincana
, a sinister hole in
the ground that appears all the more menacing by the concealing vegetation and sloping
ground around it. It's almost certainly natural, but three theories have emerged about how
it might have been used: that it served as a water-storage cistern; that it functioned as an
escape-proof prison; and that it was part of a subterranean communication system
between the main ruin and its immediate surroundings.
On the approach to the site look out for
La Cabeza del Inca
, apparently a natural rock
formation that bears a startling resemblance to the head of an Inca Warrior, so much so
that many insist it is a man-made project that was abandoned halfway through. Watch too
for condors soaring on thermals overhead.
Taxis for the round-trip, including a two-hour stop at the ruins, charge B$80 for up to
four people from Samaipata. Better yet, taxi up and walk back down. Gluttons for punish-
