Obelisk

Ayacucho


A huge monument and tiny museum mark the site of the Battle of Ayacucho (1824) above Quinua – a small pueblo (town) once famous for marking the end of colonialism in Peru and now known for its unique ceramic handicrafts.

Colectivos (shared transportation) and combis (minibuses) go to Quinua (S3.50, one hour) via the Wari ruins from the bus stop on Pasaje Flores in Ayacucho.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ayacucho attractions

1. Casa de la Capitulación

0.38 MILES

Quinua's wonderfully named Casa de la Capitulación (House of Capitulation) was where Spanish Royalist troops signed their surrender after the War of…

2. Wari Ruins

3.92 MILES

Sprawling for several kilometers along a cactus-forested roadside are the extensive ruins of Wari, the capital of the eponymous empire, which predated the…

3. Museo Arqueológico Hipólito Unanue

8.95 MILES

Wari ceramics make up most of the small exhibition here, along with relics from the region’s other various civilizations. The museum buildings are set in…

4. Museo de la Memoria

9.27 MILES

Ayacucho’s most haunting museum, remembers the impact the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) had on Peru in the city that was most deeply affected by the…

5. Mirador de Carmen Alto

9.54 MILES

This mirador (lookout) offers fabulous views of Ayacucho, as well as decent restaurants. Taxis here charge S5, otherwise catch a bus from the Mercado…

6. Casa Museo Joaquín López Antay

9.63 MILES

This captivating little museum is really part art gallery and part an explanation of the process of retablo making. Retablos, ornamental, originally…

7. Otto Malena

9.63 MILES

Officially a restaurant, this surreal Aladdin's Cave is more a museum of curios than anything else, for the owner is primarily a collector of magical…

8. Iglesia de Santo Domingo

9.66 MILES

One of Ayacucho's most photogenic churches, dating from 1548. Purportedly built with the stone of a former Inca fortress, it contains some superb examples…