Puruchuco
A well-preserved Inca-period adobe palace site on Lima's eastern outskirts, with a museum displaying mummies, textiles and pottery.
Puruchuco is in Ate district on Lima's east side, beside the Central Highway that leads toward the mountain region, about 20 km from Miraflores. The core of the site is a restored adobe palace from the Ichma culture, which continued in use during the Inca period. Visitors can see its maze-like courtyards, ramps, storerooms and trapezoidal niches, offering a direct look at how the nobility lived in pre-Hispanic times. The nearby cemetery yielded more than a thousand bundled mummies. The attached Arturo Jiménez Borja Museum displays mummies, textiles, pottery and khipu (knotted cords used for record-keeping). It is smaller than Pachacámac, but closer to the city and far less crowded, making it a good half-day trip for anyone interested in Andean archaeology. It is closed on Mondays, and admission is about 15 soles. Taking a taxi is recommended to avoid rush-hour traffic. Security along the Central Highway is average, so walking there and back is not advised.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 09:00–16:00; closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Cerro San Cristóbal
- Barrio Chino & Mercado Central
- Cathedral of Lima
- Casa de Aliaga
- Historic Centre / Plaza Mayor
- San Francisco Monastery & Catacombs
- Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo
- Plaza San Martín & Jirón de la Unión