Tiwanaku

The ruins of Tiwanaku (sometimes spelled Tiahuanaco or Tihuanaco) make for a good day trip from La Paz for those who want to view a few carved monoliths, archways and arcades, and two decent museums. It’s no Machu Picchu or Tikal, but history buffs will love diving into the myths and mysteries of this lost civilization.

Little is actually known about the people who constructed this ceremonial center on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca more than a thousand years ago. However, evidence of their influence, particularly in religion, has been found throughout the vast area that later became the Inca empire.

In the eponymous village nearby, there are a number of hotels, restaurants, a fun little plaza with excellent sculptures inspired by Tiwanaku styles, and a 16th-century church, built, no doubt, with stones from the Tiwanaku site.

Explore Tiwanaku

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Kalasasaya
North of the Akapana Pyramid is Kalasasaya, a partially reconstructed 130m-by-120m ritual-platform compound with walls constructed of huge blocks of red…
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Puerta del Sol
At the far northwest corner of Kalasasaya is Tiwanaku’s best-known structure, the 10-ton Puerta del Sol. This megalithic gateway was carved from a single…
A
Akapana Pyramid
Climb the hill up to Tiwanaku’s most outstanding structure, the partially excavated Akapana pyramid, which was built on an existing geological formation…
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Puma Punku
Across the railway line southwest of the Tiwanaku site, you’ll see the excavation site of Puma Punku. In this temple area megaliths weighing more than 130…
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Museo Lítico Monumental
The star of the show at this Tiwanaku museum is the massive 8m Monolito Bennett Pachamama, rescued in 2002 from its former smoggy home at the outdoor…
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Templete Semisubterráneo
East of the main entrance to Kalasasaya, a stairway leads down into the Templete Semisubterráneo, an acoustic, red-sandstone pit structure measuring 26m…
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Museo Cerámico
Showcases a small collection of the ceramics found at the site, as well as a ceremonially deformed cranium and artifacts from the Chiripa and Wankarani…
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Putuni
West of Kalasasaya is a 55m-by-60m rectangular area known as Putuni. It is surrounded by double walls and you can see the foundations of several tombs…
K
Kantatayita
The heap of rubble at the eastern end of the Tiwanaku site is known as Kantatayita. Archaeologists are still trying to deduce some sort of meaningful plan…

K
Kalasasaya
North of the Akapana Pyramid is Kalasasaya, a partially reconstructed 130m-by-120m ritual-platform compound with walls constructed of huge blocks of red…
P
Puerta del Sol
At the far northwest corner of Kalasasaya is Tiwanaku’s best-known structure, the 10-ton Puerta del Sol. This megalithic gateway was carved from a single…
A
Akapana Pyramid
Climb the hill up to Tiwanaku’s most outstanding structure, the partially excavated Akapana pyramid, which was built on an existing geological formation…
P
Puma Punku
Across the railway line southwest of the Tiwanaku site, you’ll see the excavation site of Puma Punku. In this temple area megaliths weighing more than 130…
M
Museo Lítico Monumental
The star of the show at this Tiwanaku museum is the massive 8m Monolito Bennett Pachamama, rescued in 2002 from its former smoggy home at the outdoor…
T
Templete Semisubterráneo
East of the main entrance to Kalasasaya, a stairway leads down into the Templete Semisubterráneo, an acoustic, red-sandstone pit structure measuring 26m…
M
Museo Cerámico
Showcases a small collection of the ceramics found at the site, as well as a ceremonially deformed cranium and artifacts from the Chiripa and Wankarani…
P
Putuni
West of Kalasasaya is a 55m-by-60m rectangular area known as Putuni. It is surrounded by double walls and you can see the foundations of several tombs…
K
Kantatayita
The heap of rubble at the eastern end of the Tiwanaku site is known as Kantatayita. Archaeologists are still trying to deduce some sort of meaningful plan…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tiwanaku.

See
Kalasasaya
North of the Akapana Pyramid is Kalasasaya, a partially reconstructed 130m-by-120m ritual-platform compound with walls constructed of huge blocks of red…
See
Puerta del Sol
At the far northwest corner of Kalasasaya is Tiwanaku’s best-known structure, the 10-ton Puerta del Sol. This megalithic gateway was carved from a single…
See
Akapana Pyramid
Climb the hill up to Tiwanaku’s most outstanding structure, the partially excavated Akapana pyramid, which was built on an existing geological formation…
See
Puma Punku
Across the railway line southwest of the Tiwanaku site, you’ll see the excavation site of Puma Punku. In this temple area megaliths weighing more than 130…
See
Museo Lítico Monumental
The star of the show at this Tiwanaku museum is the massive 8m Monolito Bennett Pachamama, rescued in 2002 from its former smoggy home at the outdoor…
See
Templete Semisubterráneo
East of the main entrance to Kalasasaya, a stairway leads down into the Templete Semisubterráneo, an acoustic, red-sandstone pit structure measuring 26m…
See
Museo Cerámico
Showcases a small collection of the ceramics found at the site, as well as a ceremonially deformed cranium and artifacts from the Chiripa and Wankarani…
See
Putuni
West of Kalasasaya is a 55m-by-60m rectangular area known as Putuni. It is surrounded by double walls and you can see the foundations of several tombs…
See
Kantatayita
The heap of rubble at the eastern end of the Tiwanaku site is known as Kantatayita. Archaeologists are still trying to deduce some sort of meaningful plan…

Guidebooks

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