Destination 10 · La Libertad, northern highlands
Marcahuamachuco — The Forgotten Mountain City
Galleried towers of stone on a mountain plateau, long before the Inca.
Where it is
PracticalMarcahuamachuco occupies a long plateau above the town of Huamachuco in the highlands of La Libertad, at around 3,600 metres.
What is established
Archaeological evidenceThe city flourished in the centuries before the rise of the Inca and is associated with the Huamachuco culture. Its builders raised tall multi-storey walls and galleries of fieldstone, including the sector known as El Castillo and a group of circular enclosures known as Las Monjas.
Beyond the southern circuit
Most visitors to Peru never travel to the northern highlands. Marcahuamachuco is a reminder that monumental Andean architecture long predates the Inca, and that the north had its own powerful centres.
Visiting
PracticalPractical details on this page are an early draft. Check opening hours, entry tickets, road conditions and local guidance before you travel.