Wari Willka

Wari Willka — also spelled Huariwillka or Huarivilca — is a pre-Inca archaeological site about 5 kilometres south of central Huancayo in the Huancán district. The complex was one of the major ceremonial sites of the Wari Empire, which dominated the Andes from around AD 600 to 1000, and was later incorporated into the Inca system as a huaca (sacred place).

The ruins themselves are modest, but the on-site museum is well worth the visit. It holds ceramics, textiles, and skeletal remains excavated from the site, with explanatory panels — mostly in Spanish — tracing the sequence of cultures that built over and used the complex for centuries. A small admission fee is charged. To reach the site, take a combi heading south from central Huancayo towards Huancán; it is signposted from the main road.

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A story
Wari Willka was one of the major religious centres of the Wari Empire from around AD 600, and was later adopted by the Inca as a sacred huaca. When the Spanish arrived they found the complex already in partial decay, used its stones in local construction, and ignored what remained. Systematic excavation only began in the late 20th century, revealing layers of occupation spanning more than a thousand years.

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