Huaca Pucllana is a must-see destination if you decide to spend a night in Lima Miraflores. Some travellers stop by for a quick photo, while others seek to gain a deeper understanding of this impressive archaeological site, right in the heart of Peru's capital.

Huaca Pucllana is located in the renowned Miraflores district of Lima. The site once covered more than 20 hectares, but today only 6 hectares remain. You can observe a system of adobe pyramids, within which archaeologists have discovered the bodies of women and sacrificed infants. As recently as 2013, the intact mummies of a man and a child were discovered at the Huaca Pucllana site in Lima.

If you're interested in exploring Huaca Pucllana, here is some practical information:

• Admission: Adults 15 soles; Students 7.5 soles.
• Hours: Wednesday to Monday only, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Guided tour mandatory (in English or Spanish).
• Address: Calle General Borgoño, block 8. Miraflores.

Learn more about the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site

The Huaca Pucllana site in Miraflores is associated with the Wari civilization and was most likely constructed between 800 and 1000 AD. Archaeologists are only now beginning to uncover certain mysteries of this magnificent archaeological site, as just 20 years ago it was completely buried under sand and served as a motocross track!

Objects, mummies, and skeletal remains are regularly discovered here, gradually revealing insights into the Wari civilization and the true purpose of the Huaca Pucllana site. Sacrifice zones have been found in certain structures surrounding the central pyramid, as the Wari believed that to join the gods and enjoy a blessed afterlife at their side, they needed to sacrifice women and infants and bury them with the deceased.

Huaca Pucllana also appears to have been a place of sea veneration. Numerous objects bearing wave designs have been found, and shark fins have also been discovered—items that the Wari consumed during ritualistic ceremonies. Your guides will enjoy going into detail about the somewhat barbaric sacrifice methods of this vanished civilization, so don't hesitate to ask them questions if you're interested!

Near Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores, there is also an agricultural area that once, as it does today, provided vegetables for those living on the site. You should also look for the famous Peruvian hairless dog (perro peruano sin pelo), as tradition holds that this breed was a guardian of the Huacas and the souls buried in their earth. Even today, one of these dogs can be found at each Peruvian Huaca!