El Fuerte de Samaipata
A UNESCO World Heritage Site where an entire sandstone ridge is carved with grooves, niches, and animal motifs. It served as a ritual center for pre-Inca and Inca peoples.
El Fuerte de Samaipata sits on a ridge about 9 km east of the town. Its core is a huge boulder about 220 meters long, its surface carved with parallel grooves, jaguar and serpent reliefs, seats, and niches. It is believed to have been a ceremonial center for the Chané and Inca peoples. On the rock's south side are an Inca administrative zone and remains from the Spanish colonial period. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Climbing on the rock itself is prohibited; a wooden walkway and viewing platforms allow a circuit of about 2 hours. The admission ticket includes the archaeological museum in town, which is open roughly 9:00 to 16:30. You can reach the site by taxi from town or on foot. The sun is strong at the summit, so bring sun protection.
Opening hours
09:00–16:30
Nearby sights
- Samaipata Archaeological Museum
- Samaipata Plaza
- Cerro de la Patria Viewpoint
- Giant Fern Forest
- Las Cuevas Waterfalls
- Codo de los Andes
- Laguna Volcán
- Condor Canyon