Latin America is rich in history and culture. It has iconic archaeological sites and world heritage sites that tourists can experience in addition to the incredible nature that surrounds them. The ancient civilizations settled in Latin America have left, reflected in history, the greatness of their cultures in impressive archaeological sites where once were great cities.
Here are 10 of the most important that travelers cannot miss.
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Machu Picchu
Located in Peru, northwest of the city of Cusco, in the heights of the Andes mountain range, this place was inhabited by the Inca civilization and is considered a jewel of architecture and engineering. It was built in the 15th century and was one of the residences of Tahuantisuya, as the great Inca empire is known.
To reach it, visitors can take a train and then walk through fabulous paths in the middle of nature. Upon entering the sanctuary, the tourist can recognize important places of this culture, such as the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Liturgical Fountains, the Main Temple, the Palace of the Righteous, the Sacred Square and the Royal Museum, mainly.
Chichen Itza
This is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico. It is located very close to the city of Cancun and the famous Maya Riviera. The visitor cannot miss the opportunity to climb the pyramid dedicated to Kukulkan, the great feathered serpent, which is partly open to the public.
This Mayan pyramid has 91 steps on each side leading to the upper temple. There are a total of 365 steps representing the days of the year. During the equinoxes, the shadows of the steps create the body of the serpent reaching the base where there are two colossal heads. Over time, the serpent seems to descend into the head that touches Mother Earth and fertilizes nature.
Tikal
Located in the city of Flores in Guatemala, this ancient city was one of the most important and most populous of the ancient Mayan civilization. It has more than 5,000 buildings of which only 5 percent have been restored and can be visited. Its pyramids have steps leading to important altars of this culture. In its Main Square, there are still winter solstice celebrations that tourists can enjoy, in addition to important buildings such as the Square of the Seven Temples and the central and northern acropolis. It is also highly recommended to know the place where the ball game was practiced.
Teotihuacan
Located near Mexico City, this important ceremonial center offers visitors two impressive pyramids that were dedicated to the Sun and the Moon. This city, which means “where men become gods”, was found in ruins by the Aztecs. In the center is the Calzada de Los Muertos, which leads to the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. These two large buildings contain a large labyrinth of underground caves where funeral rites and other fertility events are believed to have taken place.
Beauty
Easter Island, Chile, is where this fantastic site is located, preserved by huge statues, built as tombs between the 9th and 16th centuries, which remain a mystery to archaeologists because of the difficulty it must have cost to move the areas different of the island. There are more than 900 Moai created by the ancient Rapa Nui. Most of them are carved into the rock from the Rano Raraku volcano and more than 400 remain in various stages of construction.
Cave of hands
This extraordinary archaeological site is located in Santa Cruz, Argentina, in Patagonia. It is one of the best places to admire cave paintings depicting hunting scenes and abstract figures, but the most important thing is the handprints on the stone. This site has the oldest paintings of South American villages and also has remains of bones, tools and animal skins that were the basis of existence of ancient civilizations of the Paleolithic period.
Chan Chan
Another of Peru’s wonders is this archaeological site located in the city of Trujillo, on the north coast of the country. It was a city of great splendor between the 9th and 15th centuries, built by the Chimu culture until it was destroyed by the Incas. Nik Ani’s castle stands out from this place, built with adobe and designed with interesting geometric shapes.
copán
It is the most important archaeological park in Honduras, located in the so-called Copán Valley. The visitor discovers in this place many secrets of the ancient Mayan civilization, such as the ball game, the Acropolis, the Grand Plaza and the hieroglyphic stairs, which can be traveled with the help of specialized guides. Visitors cannot miss Altar Q, which is the most important monument in the country and represents 16 of the 18 monarchs who ruled this important city for nearly five centuries.
Nazca
In Peru, in the Nazca desert, there is this mysterious place also known as the Nazca Lines or the Hieroglyphs of the Pampas of Jumana. These are large drawings that can be seen from above and represent perfect figures. It is believed that they were created as offerings to the gods, who could admire them from heaven and with which the inhabitants thanked them for the favor of giving them the water they needed to survive in the desert. The people of Nazca extracted groundwater for their agricultural activities.
Tourists can take a 35-minute plane ride to appreciate all the drawings. During the flight, the history of these mysterious lines is explained, including figures such as an astronaut, a whale, a condor and many hands, among others.
Huaca del Sol
On the northern coast of Peru, visitors find this impressive archaeological site that was a sacred site of the Moche culture. It is a group of monuments that includes a large area where the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna pyramids are located, as well as a castle that, in its heyday, was inhabited only by the upper class of civilization. The largest pyramid in this place has a rectangular base and has five terraces where the former inhabitants performed various administrative and political activities. Legend has it that the city was built in just three days with the help of the gods.
