ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF CHAVÍN DE HUÁNTAR

A hundred kilometers from Huaraz, on a road in poor condition, you reach an archaeological complex at 3,200 m, which was the most important ceremonial center in the Cordillera during the first millennium AD. Strolling from plaza to esplanade, you come upon a pyramid housing underground galleries, originally decorated with bas-reliefs, and rooms where monoliths engraved with strange figures were erected. The main building, el Castillo or Great Pyramid, 75 m long and 13 m high, is composed of three superimposed granite terraces. Underneath, galleries, corridors and underground chambers are linked by staircases and ramps; outside, a portico is formed by two cylindrical columns sculpted with bird figures. The cornice, also elaborately carved, features eight stylized condors or falcons.

Opposite, the plaza where the Obelisco Tello once stood has been cleared. El Templo del Lanzón, inside the Great Pyramid, is the oldest building in the complex, dating back to 1200 B.C. It features a 5 m-high stone of strange rough beauty, depicting a figure with a feline head and hair made of snakes.

A visit to the Museo Nacional de Chavín, where you'll find ceramics and tools, but above all the Obelisco Tello and an interesting collection of pututos, large shells used to call out by blowing hard into them.