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Must-See Ancient Ruins in South America
Sometimes it’s difficult to think back to what was for lunch, let alone imagine what the world was like 500 or 1,000 years ago. In South America, the visions that history books describe from the past become reality. Ancient ruins are scattered throughout the continent, transporting you back in time. The visions of people, cultures and civilizations bygone will dance through your head when visiting these sites where the past and present intermingle.
Machu Picchu, Peru | Machu Picchu is well-known around the world, and for good reason. The majestic city in the sky sits 7,000 feet above sea level preserved from modernization in the Andean Mountain Range. The city remained hidden from discovery until 1911, but climbers can now make their way through the Inca Trail to gaze upon the temples, fields and terraces the ancient Incans left behind.
Chan Chan, Peru | While Machu Picchu shrouded its few residents in secret up in the clouds, Chan Chan served as a bustling center and was the largest city in the Americas a mere 600 years ago. The adobe metropolis is a maze of passageways, palaces and temples where the Chimú civilization reigned. Holding the title as the “first true engineering society in the New World,” the Chimú built towering walls and canals running through the city. These ruins top the list, as they are disappearing quickly while water and rains erode the adobe structures.
Kuelap, Peru | Part of the adventure is arriving to this ancient city. Forever hidden in mist and orchids, Kuelap is higher and older than Machu Picchu, and is also the largest stone ruin site in the New World. Walls that reach 60 feet high surround the city and kept the Chachapoyas (Land of Cloud Peoples) safe.
Tiwanaku, Bolivia | Tiwanaku varies from its ancient counterparts found throughout South America. The site is made up of distinct large stones, weighing up to 100 tons, and carved with precise skill. It was a spiritual and political center from about 300 BCE 300 to 1000 BCE. Visitors are encouraged to let minds wander as little is known about the people who constructed this city.
San Agustin, Colombia | While not a ruin in the traditional sense, San Agustin has a collection of ceremonial and burial sites with 500 statues to behold. While no written language was left behind to describe the San Agustin’s early citizens, the statues tell a story all their own. Monsters, eagles, jaguars and frogs can be seen carved into these monumental stone statues to honor the memory of the dead.
What we know about the Americas before Europeans came to discover the land is limited. The people of days gone by have left us evidence of their existence, and of what life looked like in South America hundreds of years ago. Escape to these ancient ruins to take in the mysterious sights that have been left behind.
