Sillustani

Our archaeological excursion begins in the morning when we pick you up from your hotel in Puno. From here, it’s a 45 minute drive to the amazing royal tombs of Sillustani. When we arrive, you’ll have plenty of time to explore Sillustani with your knowledgeable guide. You’ll see all the amazing chullpas, which display contrasting pre-Columbian architectural styles from civilizations such as the Pucara, Tiahuanaco, Ccolla and the Incas. 

Made of stones weighing up to six tons, many of which are perfectly aligned with one another, these funerary towers are very impressive. The largest Sillustani tower took around 50 years to complete. There are more than 90 structures in total, some small and some very large. Mummified bodies were buried inside the funerary towers, and placed in a fetal position along with various possessions that would accompany them to the afterlife. The small entranceways into the towers were aligned towards the sunrise, helping the spirits of the deceased travel to the Sun God.

During the trip, we’ll also see the waru warus, the Aymara term for an agricultural technique developed by pre-Hispanic people in the Andes. These consist of parallel canals positioned in-between raised planting beds, which were strategically built on floodplains near a water source so that the fields could be properly irrigated. We’ll also see the typical structures built by rural farmers today, including their small houses and corrals for llamas, alpacas and sheep. 

After fully exploring Sillustani and taking in the amazing views, we’ll head back to Puno. We should arrive at around midday, at which point we’ll drop you off at your hotel.