Horca del Inca (Pachataka)

Solar observatory on the slope of Cerro Kesanani, about 600 m south of the centre and some 100 m above the lake. Two pillars carved from the bedrock hold a stone crossbeam; together with drilled rocks and astronomical marks they tracked solstices and equinoxes. It is attributed to the Chiripa culture, and calculations by the Bolivian Institute of Cosmic Physics date it to around 1700 BC. “Pachataka” means “where time is measured” in Aymara; the Spanish called it a gallows without understanding its purpose. Every 21 June it hosts Willka Kuti, the Andean Amazonian New Year.

Signposted path from the end of Murillo street: a 30 to 45 minute climb up about 300 m of pre-Hispanic steps. Small community entrance fee; check the current rate at the foot of the path. Best at sunrise or mid-afternoon, avoiding midday. On 21 June bring serious warm clothing, a torch and something hot: the ceremony starts before dawn. Do not climb on the monument or take stones or offerings.

Stories

Documented historyBacked by archaeological or historical sources.

A solar clock, not a gallows

Despite its name, the Pachataka predates the Inca Empire: it is attributed to the Chiripa culture, and calculations by the Bolivian Institute of Cosmic Physics date its construction to around 1700 BC. The Spanish destroyed most of the solar observatories of the altiplano but left this one standing, believing it was used for executions. No one was ever hanged here: every 21 June at dawn a ray of sunlight passes through a hole carved in a nearby rock and casts a circle of light on the crossbeam, announcing the Andean new year.