Cerro Santa Apolonia

Hill above the city with panoramic views and pre-Inca carved stones

Cerro Santa Apolonia is a hill on the western edge of Cajamarca's city centre, about 15 minutes on foot from the Plaza de Armas. The climb is not difficult — a set of stone steps leads to the summit — and the views over the city and the surrounding green valley are the reward. At about 2,900 metres, the hill stands roughly 150 metres above the city floor, which is enough to see the full extent of the colonial centre and the dairy farms spreading up the hillsides beyond.

Near the top there are pre-Inca carved rocks, including a stone seat known as the Silla del Inca (Seat of the Inca). There is also a small chapel and a garden with native plants. The hill is a popular spot for an early morning or late afternoon visit; sunset from the summit, with the cathedral towers lit in gold below, is worth planning around.

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Near the summit there is a carved stone throne known as the Seat of the Inca, cut directly from a large rock outcrop. The carvings are pre-Inca — probably from the Cajamarca culture — but the Spanish renamed the feature for the Inca and the name stuck. Whether or not any Inca actually sat there, the view from that stone chair over the Plaza de Armas and the surrounding valley is genuinely magnificent.

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