Sillustani Tombs - Half Day

The ancient Sillustani archaeological site is one of the most dramatic and unusual ruins in the Puno region of Peru.  Once a burial ground for pre-Inca cultures, and then the Incas themselves, Sillustani is home to impressive tower-like structures called "chullpas", which served as tombs for people of noble birth or high rank.

The Qulla people were an indigenous group that lived in western Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina for many centuries. They were an Aymara-speaking people and were conquered by the Incas in the 15th century. Colonial evidence at the time describes the Qulla as a highly centralized society.

Veneration of the dead was an integral part of Qulla culture, and this was celebrated in this graveyard by the construction of a “chullpa”. A chullpa is a circular funeral tower made from large bricks; the tallest of these centuries-old towers stands around 12 meters high. The height and size of these towers increased with the importance of the people who were buried inside. Ancestral worship was an important part of Aymara culture, and these round towers were built to facilitate the connection between this world and the next.  Each tower not only contained the mummified body of the deceased, there was also the presence of valuable possessions like gold, silver, ceramics, and even food to take with them to the next world.

There are dozens of chullpas, around 90 in total, and thousands more semi-subterranean tombs at Sillustani. Some academics believe that, following the collapse of Tiwanaku around 1000 AD, Sillustani became “the most prominent pilgrimage center in the Titicaca Basin. However, even so, not a lot is known about the site or the people who were buried here. The chullpas are not only found here, however. They can be found across the whole south Central Andes. 

While chullpas are not unique to Sillustani and are found across the Southern region of Peru and into Bolivia, this site is considered one of the best and most well-preserved examples of this form of burial tower. A large ramp on one of the chullpas demonstrates how stones would have been stacked upon the walls during construction.

Join us as we explore the incredible Sillustani Tombs, an archaeological site that is also blessed with amazing views across the beautiful Umayo Lake. Lake Umayo used to form part of Lake Titicaca thousands of years ago. Today this lake fills up in the rainy season and drains in the dry season reaching a maximum depth of 27m./ 88ft. Its main feature today is a small island in the middle of the lake. The islandis ctually a nature reserve home to vicuñas, vizcachas and a nuber of hummingbird species.  Book your Sillustani Tour from Puno with Valencia Travel!