Huaca Pucllana
A 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid hidden among the high-rises of Miraflores, a ceremonial centre of the Lima culture; night tours and an on-site restaurant are the highlights.
Huaca Pucllana is a large adobe pyramid and administrative-ceremonial centre built by the Lima culture between 400 and 700 CE. It stands about 22 m tall and is made of millions of handmade adobe bricks laid on edge in a 'bookshelf' pattern, a method that helped it withstand earthquakes. The Wari culture later used it as a noble cemetery. Systematic excavation began in 1981, and today the site is surrounded by apartment blocks in Miraflores, a striking contrast. Visits must be made with a museum guide, and guided tours in Spanish or English take about an hour. The route climbs the pyramid for views over the neighbourhood, passing a reconstructed ceremonial plaza, a small museum displaying Lima-culture pottery and textiles, and an enclosure with native Peruvian alpacas, guinea pigs and native crops. Daytime admission is about 15 soles. Night tours (Wednesday to Sunday, after 19:00, when the pyramid is illuminated) cost about 17 soles. The on-site Huaca Pucllana restaurant is one of Lima's best-known upscale Peruvian restaurants, with a terrace facing the lit-up pyramid; dinner costs about 150–250 soles per person, and reservations are required. Getting there: the site is at block 8 of General Borgoño Street in northern Miraflores, a 20-minute walk from Kennedy Park or a 5-minute Uber ride. Closed on Tuesdays.
Opening hours
Wed–Mon 09:00–17:00; evening session 19:00–22:00; closed Tuesdays
Nearby sights
- Mercado N°1 de Surquillo
- Parque Kennedy (Parque Central de Miraflores)
- Miraflores Paragliding (Parque Raimondi)
- Huaca Huallamarca
- Miraflores / Parque del Amor & Malecón
- Lugar de la Memoria (LUM)
- Larcomar
- Barranco