Waqra Pukara: Peru's mysterious 'horned fortress' [View all]

Last edited Tue Jan 16, 2024, 07:29 AM - Edit history (1)

14th January 2024, 09:03 CST

By Stephen K Hirst & Heather Jasper
Features correspondent



(Credit: Heather Jasper)
With January 2024 seeing the start of even bigger crowds at Machu Picchu, savvy travellers may be wise to head to the stunning edifice that barely anyone has heard of: Waqra Pukará.

Our first visit to Machu Picchu in November 2020 was hard to top. The weather was atmospherically foggy, with occasional sunbeams breaking through the morning mist and dappling the ruins with dramatic lighting. Llamas and alpacas milled about, chewing grass and posing majestically. A lone vizcacha (think of a large squirrel, but with oversized rabbit-like ears) scrambled along some rocks on the periphery of the site. The Andean air was cool and invigorating.

The best part? Most of the photos from our visit are completely devoid of other tourists.

However, this was an anomaly. We got stuck in Peru during the pandemic, waited patiently in the Sacred Valley for 10 months, and then during the initial local reopening, went to check out the iconic archaeological site.

Obviously, this was an experience we blindly lucked into, and one that few people (Peruvians or otherwise) will ever get. On a typical day, more than 4,000 tourists are allowed into the site. The experience can feel rushed, photos are often obscured by the hordes and comparisons to the jostling crowds of Disney World are inevitable.

More:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240110-waqra-pukar-perus-mysterious-horned-fortress











ETC.