Pukará de Quitor — Attraction in San Pedro de Atacama

We borrowed bicycles from Hotel Cumbres as suggested by JLA Max, and he escorted us on the 5km largely flat ride. (Be en route by 9.30am latest to avoid pre-sun heat). Once you’ve got in (after ‘normal for Chile’ bureaucracy which adds ten minutes of form-filing to the simple process of buying a ticket) the archeological site is well-organised. The pathways are in good condition and wind upwards through the terrain. Sadly the route close to the ruins was closed (why?!), so one has to make do with long-distance views. But with a mobile camera the photos enable a good look at the structures. We wondered what the roofs would have been made of? So we looked forward to seeing a scale model reconstruction in the little museum…but a 2cm photo tucked away in a corner is all there was. All-Spanish information about the contents of the glass-topped cases, and not much of that. Disappointing given the undoubted expertise of the archaeologists who’ve uncovered the ruins and found the objects. Whinge over. The main thing is that the integration of habitation with landscape is well worth seeing. And if you’re a walker it’s a rewarding route whether you take in a couple of sections or do the...

It's a hike that will require a lot from you, but the view from upthere is quite amazing! 
Pukara de Quitor is located a bit far away from the city, around 30-40 minutes walking depeding on your location. There was several people walking there and also cycling there when I went alone that day. You will need to pay to get into, I believe it is around 5,000 pesos, I entered as a student and paid lower than 4,000. There's also bathrooms in there once you enter. 
There is also several stops with shadow and seats on the way up, I'd say 2-3 stops like this. And the arc on the top is great, the view from San Pedrom from there is amazing, and you will get amazing pictures. I did not went up to the last stop, since I was tired and was not 100%. Up to the arc I might have taken 40-50 minutes walking up with long stops, since it was around 3-4 pm and really hot. But I recommend, it's demanding but...

Absolute waste of time. Access to the actual ruins is closed for reasons I'm sure would never stand up to any scrutiny. Access to the caves is also closed. Basically you're paying $5.750CLP per person for a forty minute walk up a dusty, rocky, exposed mountain offering a half-decent view over death valley (which is also closed by the way). If that's something you want to do go for it but I went here hoping to see the RUINS. My advice, if you're interested in archaeology or history, would be to spend your money somewhere else. Also, you can only buy tickets on card for some unknown reason so don't bother bringing cash like you would for every other...