Along the southern plateau of the Sacred Valley, beyond the Four Lakes region, is the Wakrapukara Inca temple fortress.
This impressive Inca archaeological site is less well known and more distant than the more famous sites of Sacsayhuaman, Tipon, Moray or Ollantaytambo.
Wakrapukara is an archaeological site located in Agos, in the province of Acomayo in the Pomacanchi region of Cusco. The name Waqrapukara comes from the Quechua language: Waqra means "Horn" and Pukara means "Fortress", that is, Waqrapukara means "Fortress of the Horn".
The monument is located above eight wall terraces, steep retaining walls and stone stairs at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level, overlooking the Apurimac River valley.
To get there, it takes a 2.5 hour drive from Cusco to the city of Santa Lucia, followed by a 2-3 hour walk.
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Similar to Machu Picchu, the ceremonial Inca architecture at Wakrapukar combines amazing stonework with impressive natural formations.
The monument has two groups of architectural structures.
The first group is located at the top, in the middle of a rocky platform, where two complexes can be seen, separated by a wide central space.
The second group is at the bottom and has 8 terraces 153 meters long and 1.80 meters high, which repeat the terrain.
Built for defense, this mysterious, almost hidden stone fortress, rectangular in shape, with giant rock formations, with its niches, double and triple doorways, possibly also served as a refuge and an astronomical observatory.
This archaeological site has been associated with astronomical observations and rituals for the development of agricultural activities, since the structures of this place are oriented towards the sunrise.
According to archaeologist Miguel Cornejo Guerrero of the University of Peru: “Vakrapukara is an ancient first-order sanctuary that denotes an immense political and religious power that has not yet been explored. The entire natural environment warns from afar that this is a special, unusual place of incomparable beauty, in this breathtaking vision of natural formations, where ancient people created beautiful ceremonial architecture, combining natural creations with the best of their artistic architecture."
Wakrapukara, even today, is relatively unknown to the locals who live nearby.