Pucará de Tilcara
The ruins of a pre-Inca hilltop settlement in the Humahuaca Gorge, with stone houses and a giant cactus garden overlooking the valley.
The Pucará de Tilcara is a defensive settlement on a hill south of the town of Tilcara in Jujuy Province. Built by Indigenous peoples from about the 12th century, it was later occupied by the Inca Empire. The site is part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca World Heritage property. Inside are partly reconstructed stone houses, plazas and ritual areas, as well as a pyramid-shaped monument at the top honoring an archaeologist. Giant cacti grow all around, and a high-altitude botanical garden lies alongside. Tickets include the town's archaeological museum, and day trips through the Humahuaca Gorge often stop here.
Opening hours
About 09:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Dr. Eduardo Casanova Archaeological Museum
- Garganta del Diablo (Tilcara)
- Maimará Cemetery
- Paleta del Pintor
- Posta de Hornillos
- Tropic of Capricorn Monument, Huacalera
- Church of Santa Rosa de Lima, Purmamarca
- Cerro de los Siete Colores, Purmamarca