Tambo Colorado is the place where the Incas ruled and built different temples. The original name was Pucallacta or pucawasi which means “red resting place” due to the color used to paint the walls and hallways with a deep red color throughout the large complex made of mud bricks.
The site was built around 1450 over remains of Chincha stronghold. Inca Pachacutec transformed the ancient city and used it to monitor traffic between the coast and the mountains while he built the empire. The uniqueness of this adobe complex lies in the way the Incas adapted and transformed the typical architectural style of the mountains: finely carved overlapping stone blocks covered in mud and adobe.
This political-administrative center functioned as a control zone between the mountains and the coast and included a military base, accommodation for the Incas, a ceremonial site, food warehouses and a meeting point. The urban complex is made up of three large areas: the Inca palace, the temple of the sun and the ushnu (small pyramid platform), all linked by the Inca road system.
This political-administrative center included:
- A military base.
- Ceremonial temples.
- Food storage warehouses.
- Residences for Inca officials.
- A central pyramid platform known as an ushnu, used for major rituals and ceremonies.
The complex is organized into three main sectors:
- The Inca Palace
- The Sun Temple
- The ceremonial Ushnu Platform
All of these areas are interconnected by the ancient Inca road system, making Tambo Colorado not just a center of power and spirituality, but a true architectural masterpiece that links the desert coast with the high Andes.
Itinerary
- 2:00 pm: Hotel pickup in Paracas and departure to Tambo Colorado.
- 3:00 pm: Arrival at Tambo Colorado and visit to the site museum.
- 3:30 pm: Guided tour of the Inca palace, the ushnu or Inca altar, and the Temple of the Moon.
- 4:00 pm: Return trip to Paracas by vehicle.
- 5:00 pm: Arrival and transfer to the selected hotel in Paracas.
