The Temple of Hera occupies the far eastern end of the temple ridge, perched dramatically on the edge of the escarpment with views down to the coast and across to the hills inland. Built around 450 BC, 25 of its original columns still stand. The eastern position, at the highest point of the ridge, was deliberate — the temple was associated with marriage ceremonies and rites of passage, and women would have processed here along the sacred road from the lower city.
The fire damage visible on some of the columns and the lower course of the walls is ancient — Carthaginian forces burned the temple when they sacked Akragas in 406 BC, and the scorch marks were preserved when the building was partially rebuilt in the Roman period. It is the most exposed of all the temples and often caught in the afternoon breeze off the sea, which makes it a good place to rest during a long day in the park.