Tourist attractions in Ecuador
Archaeological Complex of Ingapirca
Archaeological Complex of Ingapirca
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16Km desde CañarNearby attractions
Places to visit within 30 km.
Ingapirca Inca Archaeological Complex
Incas and Cañaris tell their story at Ingapirca or "Wall of the Inca". It is the largest and best restored archaeological complex of Ecuador at 3.160 meters above sea level and 16 km from the city of Cañar, province of Cañar, in southern Ecuador. Ingapirca is from Inca origin, but when visitors enter the jurisdiction of Cañar they also enter to the Cañari nation, an ethnographic and geographical space conformed by the provinces of Cañar and Azuay, known as the Ecuadorian Austro. The solar and lunar observatory, which also served as a military fort, was built at the beginning of the 16th century, before the arrival of the Spaniards to the area. The outer world has knowledge of the remains from the 18th century, locating it in the province of Hatun Cañar or "the great place of the Cañaris". The ruins were excavated and restored by an Archaeological Mission of Spain between 1974 and 1975. Those investigations gave rise to several publications by archaeologists José Alcina, Miguel Rivera and Antonio Fresco. In the archaeological complex, there can be appreciated different architectural units, of which the Temple of the Sun or “Castle” stands out, it is an elliptical shape of 37 meters long and 12 wide. The oldest building is Pilaloma. Then there are the shrine and the chambers. It is possible to hire the services of native guides who explain the history and meaning of the Inca structures. The site is put into value by the Archaeological Museum and inside it there is an explanatory mockup of Ingapirca and a large amount of ceramics belonging to the integration period. It also has an ethnographic room where you can find elements such as: utensils, tools and Cañaris’ clothing. The excavations carried out reveal the presence of the Cañari and Inca cultures. The administration of the Complex is in charge of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Ecuador. The city of Cañar is also known as the Archaeological Capital of Ecuador, because in addition to Ingapirca, the town is the point of reference for other important archaeological sites such as the Inca baths of Coyoctor, Narrío Hill, Tambo Real de Paredones, the Inca trail (Camino del Inca) or "Qhaphacñán", Labrashcarrumi, Shungumarca, Shizhu, Hatun Cañar Mines, Taski, Culebrillas and Quilloac, all of those easily accessible.
0.00 Km.
Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church
The brief history of the church indicates that in the year 1947, Father Alfonso Célleri, after having demolished the old Wooden Church, began the construction of the new one, which is 50 meters long, the lower part of the nave The main part is made of adobe and the upper part is made of bahareque. The church has been decorated inside with restored paintings, such as: The Assumption of the Holy Mary, The Final Judgment, Jesus of the Great Power. Seeking the constant maintenance of the Church. Large influx of faithful to the events scheduled by the church. People feel identified with the schedule and forms of celebration that the church has. The Main Church is the largest Catholic temple in the city. Neither the oldest nor the greatest, its role in national history makes it a fundamental milestone in our self-understanding as a society. Location It is located in the center of the city on Panamericana Norte and Ramón Borrero streets. Next to the Central Park in the Historic Center of the canton. Activities Religious manifestations, liturgical acts are celebrated, especially at the time of Holy Week, Festivities of the Jesus of Great Power, the month of Mary and Christmas, the potential uses: drawing, painting of the interior or the facade, photography and restoration activities.
6.88 Km.
Guantung Archaeological And Ethnographic Museum
In this museum there are in its interior, in three rooms, samples of our aboriginal cultures such as the Cañari and Inca, represented in elements of ceramics, shell, gold and bone. In an architectural environment, elliptical in shape, imaginarily directed towards the cardinal points; in such a way that from the central part, said cosmically, it will be possible to visualize the location of the geographically cultural community components. Each one presents details, colors, shapes, textures and sizes that mark the difference of the periods of the Cañari Culture, which are three: Narrío, Tacalshapa and Cashaloma.In addition, in the room, visitors can see a last period, the Inca and the fusion with the colonial that, although they are foreign cultures, are part of the history of the region.Even in the place several events of socio-cultural animation have been developed. Location They are located in the city of Cañar in the Guantug recreational park, of special singularity, in its designs, planning and projection. The museum began its activities in 1982 and was inaugurated in August 1992
7.94 Km.
Ruins of Cerro Narrio
Cerro Narrío is one of the most important sites for archaeological research in the south of the country. Several renowned archaeologists, both domestic and foreign, have visited and studied the site. Due to the construction style of the architectural elements and the great variety of cultural materials found in systematic archaeological excavations, it has been determined that the archaeological site of Cerro Narrío was occupied by aboriginal groups, from 2500 BC. C. until 1532 AD. c. This hill was a place of settlement for societies that came from different parts of America 5,000 years ago. C. so it is not ruled out that this culture is one of the oldest in the country. The highlights of Cerro Narrío Ruins Burials: In Narrío the southern and western flanks were used as burial places and many hundreds of graves were found in them. A late grave is made up of a pit 1.50 m deep and 60 to 80 cm wide, within which the body is placed in a flexed position, apparently sitting. Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum of Guantug: This ancestral cultural space, located in the recreation park, Guantug, in the city of Cañar, highlights art, music, customs, dance, agriculture, commerce and fabrics. of the Cañari people. The museum is made up of 6 collections of archaeological pieces, ceramics, stone, shell, bone and metals such as gold and silver. Location The archaeological site of Cerro Narrío is located on the left bank of the Shan-Shan ravine, half a kilometer northwest of the city of Cañar.
8.25 Km.
Culebrillas Lagoon
It is a sacred lagoon for the Cañari culture, located in a hole at the foot of the Yanahurco hill or "Cerro Negro", in the Province of Cañar. The river that feeds the lagoon has the shape of a path traced by the mythical Cañari snake. The landscape that surrounds the Culebrillas lagoon is made up of pine trees and a path full of grasslands, chuquiraguas, brooms and wild flowers. In the vicinity of the lagoon is the Inca Trail and the archaeological complex Tambo de Paredones This is a complex that presents archaeological, anthropological, ecological and landscape content. It is a mythical place where, according to religious tradition, the leoquina lives there, a progenitor snake of the Cañari ethnic group. In the surroundings there are several stone housing foundations that testify to the presence of the Cañari-Inca cultures. In addition to the recreation and relaxation offered by the landscape and its lagoons, visitors can practice sport fishing and for those who like hunting, wild ducks and Andean gulls abound. Location Culebrillas is located in the Juncal parish, in the adjoining paramos to the Azuay knot and approximately 40 kilometers from the Cañar Canton, entering through Altarurco, on the Durán-El Tambo road. Legends The Laguna de Culebrillas is a mythical site, because according to religious tradition, the leoquina lives there, a progenitor snake of the Cañari ethnic group. According to tradition, the Culebrillas lagoon was a sacred place of the Great Cañari Confederation, which at certain times of the year and in splendor ceremonies of the tribal heliolatric rite, threw symbolic pieces of gold and silver there. Due to this, several landowners of the place indicate the existence of stone steps in the western sector, that is, where the waters of the lagoon come out, to form the San Antonio River below.
12.93 Km.
Tres Cruces (Three Crosses) Hill
The Tres Cruces Hill, in Cajas National Park, is many things at once. Viewpoint, continental water divide, crossroads. It is located at 38 kilometers from Cuenca, a city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The trip by car to its summit takes 40 minutes on the paved road to Molleturo. Its Quichua name is Kimsa Cruz. The hill is at an altitude of 4,167 meters above sea level. It is an obligatory stop for national and foreign travelers. It has spectacular views to both East and West of the lagoons and moors of the Cajas National Park. Here photography and video are unavoidable activities. You have to be well prepared to withstand the wind and cold. For those visitors who want more adventure, they can reach a second viewpoint on Tres Cruces hill, after climbing 300 steps, above 4,200 meters above sea level. As a landmark, it is the water divide, between the Pacific and the Atlantic, closest to the Pacific Ocean in South America. From here you can also see the last remnants of Andean forest. As a crossroads, the recently built Cuenca-Molleturo cement road, the García Moreno road from the Republican era, and the ancestral Qhapaq Ñan (Camino Real Andino), declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014, all go up the Andes in Tres Cruces. Therefore, Tres Cruces is a historical place of contact between the Sierra and the Coast and of contact between sky and earth, in the south of Ecuador. One more characteristic makes Tres Cruces a very special place: its "apachita" which translates as "the one who helps to carry". In the place there are three marble crosses, they are his particular mark, which over the years have been buried by the stones accumulated (apachita) on them by travelers. This custom goes back to the ancient Andean walkers, who carried small stones to the most difficult mountain passes and left them there, as an offering so that the "apus" or hills would allow them to continue the journey. As a result of these offerings to the gods, three large stone mounds were formed. In an attempt at Christianization, the mounds were replaced by crosses. But it didn't work. On the contrary, the three crosses were merged with the "apachita", because the travelers gave continuity to the custom. For all these reasons, Tres Cruces is a mandatory stop when travelling to Cuenca from Guayaquil by land.
17.76 Km.