Tiwanaku
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Tiwanaku, Spiritual And Political Centre Of The Tiwanaku Culture (2000). A Ceremonial And Administrative Centre Of The Tiwanaku Empire (About 500 1000 AD), With The Akapana Pyramid, The Kalasasaya Temple, The Gateway Of The Sun And Monoliths Such As The Ponce Stela. · Tiwanaku, La Paz
Tiwanaku is a pre-Inca ceremonial centre on the Altiplano, about 70 km west of La Paz at roughly 3,850 m, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The Tiwanaku people built it between about 500 and 1000 AD, and it is sacred to many Aymara communities today. The Gateway of the Sun, a single carved andesite block with a central figure, stands on the Kalasasaya platform near the Ponce monolith and the stone-faced Semi-subterranean Temple. Puma Punku holds huge, precisely cut blocks, and some writers claim aliens built them; archaeologists attribute them to the Tiwanaku people. The honest picture is a wide, open and windy site with a lot of rubble. Much of it makes little sense without a guide, and the Akapana restoration is disputed. Allow half a day from La Paz, take sun cover, water and warm clothes, and do not expect shade. Check the museums, the ticket price and the opening days before going, because rules change often, and ask a local guide to point out which pieces are original and which are rebuilt.
Pre-Inca ceremonial site at about 3,850 m on the Altiplano, about 70 km west of La Paz and 20 km from Lake Titicaca, with the Akapana pyramid and the Gateway of the Sun, Tiwanaku, La Paz, Bolivia
The site is usually open every day in daylight, with the museums closing earlier than the ruins; some days may be shorter or closed for ceremonies or repairs. The ticket is NEVER free for foreign visitors. Confirm days and hours with a tour or the ticket desk.