VALLE SUR: TIPON-ANDAHUAYLILLAS-PIKILLAQTA(FULL DAY)

Itinerary

This tour is known as the ‘Mystic route of the God Wiracocha’ We will dedicate this day to exploring the South Valley, the settlement of cultures that gave rise to the Inca Empire. We will travel through different chronological eras, by visiting and studying these cultural manifestations. Cultures that once populated this area, just to mention a few are; Marcavalle, Wari and Lucre.

Tipon (3650):

Situated 27km SE of Cusco, in its highest part (3800msnm) are found petroglyphs named Cruz Moco, which would be a Huaca or worship center and part of the Ceque of Antisuyo. Tipon’s origins date back to pre-Inca times around 1200 D.C., corresponding with the Wari Empire.

Remains have been found in a wall of 6km of longitude that surrounds the city. Later on, the Inka Wiracocha occupied Tipon around the years of 1400 who transformed it, making it bigger and more developed. The most well-known zone is compiled of 13 terraces or platforms. It also includes urban sectors for nobility, the priests, the inhabitants of the ayllu as well as storage buildings and defense. There is also a ceremonial plaza and fonts. Due to the different microclimates, the area was conducive to agricultural experimentation of different products and possibly also used to develop decorative gardens for Wiracocha. The Inkan engineers used different slopes, of differing width and depth to control the speed of the water used to distribute their fall and the inclination of the walls to diminish their erosion on the stone.

Andahuaylillas (3121):

Situated about 40km SE of Cusco, it is known for its colonial architecture. Its main plaza is surrounded by ancient houses and trees of Pisonay. The main attraction of this area is its church; Sistine Chapel of America constructed in the century XVII whose interior is decora ted with murals, barowue altars of carved wood and paintings from the Cusqueñan School of Art. It is not possible to leave without visiting the Waka Museum: Sacred stones of Waro, the town adjacent to Andahuaylillas and the Museum of Sito of this city.

Pikillaqta:

It is considered as one of the most well-known and best conserved cities in Peru. It presents characteristics of a large urban center corresponding to the time of the Wari (century VI-IX), with more than 1000 constructions from plazas, warehouses for food, houses, temples, long and narrow streets and buildings that had up to four levels. It is not known in which moment or why this city was abandoned.