Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CUZCO TO PUNO
The rickety railway and the paved road to Lake Titicaca shadow each other as they both
head southeast from Cuzco. En route you can investigate ancient ruins and pastoral Andean
towns that are great detours for intrepid travelers who want to leave the Gringo Trail far be-
hind. Most of the following destinations can be reached on day trips from Cuzco; for points
of interest closer to Puno,
Click here
.
Inka Express and Turismo Mer run luxury bus tours (
Click here
)
between Cuzco and Puno that visit some but not all of these places. Local and
long- distance highway buses run more frequently along this route and are less expensive.
Tipón
A demonstration of the Incas' mastery over their environment, this extensive
Inca site
(ad-
mission with boleto turístico; 7am-6pm)
consists of some impressive terracing at the
head of a small valley with an ingenious irrigation system. It's about 30km from Cuzco,
just before Oropesa. Take any Urcos-bound bus from opposite the hospital in Av de la Cul-
tura in Cuzco, or a
colectivo
from outside Av Tullumayo 207, and ask to be let off at the
Tipón turnoff (S3, 45 minutes). A steep dirt road from the turnoff climbs the 4km to the ru-
ins. You can also contract a taxi tour from Cuzco (S90) to drive you into the ruins at Tipón
and Piquillacta, wait and bring you back.
Piquillacta & Rumicolca
Literally translated as 'the Place of the Flea,'
Piquillacta
(admission with boleto turístico;
7am-6pm)
is the only major pre-Inca ruin in the area, built around AD 1100 by the Wari
culture. The large ceremonial center features crumbling two-story buildings, all with en-
trances that are strategically located on the upper floor. It is surrounded by a defensive
wall. The stonework here is much cruder than that of the Incas. The floors and walls were
paved with slabs of white gypsum, of which traces remain. On the opposite side of the road
about 1km further east, the huge Inca gate of
Rumicolca
is built on Wari foundations. The
cruder Wari stonework contrasts with the Inca blocks. It's interesting to see indigenous
people working with the mud that surrounds the area's swampy lakes - the manufacture of
adobe (mud bricks) is one of the main industries of this area.
Urcos-bound buses from Cuzco pass by both sites.
