Ingapirca

Ingapirca, Cañar, Ecuador

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Ingapirca is a town in Ecuador’s Cañar province. It’s known for the Ingapirca Ruins, an archaeological complex north of town with ancient Incan masonry. The ruins include the Temple of the Sun, a large oval construction once used for ritual and...

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Attractions of Ingapirca

Ingapirca Archaeological Complex

4.7

(3K)

Open 24 hours

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Cara del Inca

4.7

(227)

Open 24 hours

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Templo del Sol (Inca)

4.6

(15)

Open 24 hours

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Things to do nearby

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Mon, Dec 1 • 10:00 AM

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Ingapirca Archaeological Complex

4.7

Darwin SariDarwin Sari

Amazing place to visit especially near sundown or the last tour of the day. Our guide was extremely informative about the rich culture. They do offer English speaking guides from what I understand however we didn’t get one. This wasn’t a problem however these days with how far Translation apps have come whether you are an android user or apple user please check your phone and use that thing to get the full understanding of what your guide is saying. Of course you should have some Spanish under your belt. Overall a MUST visit spot for sure! Save some energy at the end for a 15 minute hike down to see the Face of the Inca rock formation. Be aware!!! The hike back up is fairly challenging especially if you haven’t fully acclimatized. There is 2 bathrooms on the hiking route for the fee of $1. Always bring toilet paper, most places do not provide this.

Ramesh SivaramanRamesh Sivaraman

Ingapirca: Worth the Trip? After hearing so much about Ingapirca, I finally made the journey—and here’s the honest scoop. The site is neat, clean, and well looked after, but it’s definitely on the smaller side. From Cuenca, it’s about a two-hour ride each way. When we arrived, there were no official guides until after 2 p.m., though private guides were available for just $5–$6. The tour lasts about 45 minutes, and you can’t explore on your own—a guide is required. There’s a short trail that loops around the complex, but aside from a simple hike, it doesn’t add much. If you’ve already been to Machu Picchu, Ingapirca will likely feel underwhelming. One word of advice: skip the food near the entrance. Instead, walk 10–15 minutes into town and you’ll find a few local spots serving much better meals.

Xavier AguirreXavier Aguirre

The tour is short 40 minutes long but you can see the museum for free. The stones are big and placed on top of each other with no gaps. This place is featured in "Ancient Alliens" for the mystery of how it was engineered. The Sun really places an important source for building this place. You can see in the pictures, here posted. I was practically able to feel the sunbeam.

Miguel Ángel Silva MorochoMiguel Ángel Silva Morocho

Ingapirca es, sin dudarlo, el sitio arqueológico precolombino más importante del Ecuador. En este sitio, ubicado en la provincia del Cañar reposa el conjunto arquitectónico inca mejor conservado del país. Ingapirca, palabra kichwa que significa ‘muro o pared del inca’, es el nombre con el que se designa a este yacimiento precolombino del sur andino del Ecuador, que está ubicado a 3.160 m.s.n.m., en el interior de un paisaje natural único. Enclavado en una hoya de clima frío y estacional barrida constantemente por el viento que recorre la cordillera sur del Ecuador. Símbolo del dominio incaico antes de la conquista española en América, todo este complejo arqueológico de cuatro hectáreas es un paso obligado para todos aquellos que quieren conocer el Qhapaq Ñan – Sistema Víal Andino, pues este sitio además de concentrar a la cultura cañari (500 d. C.) fue una importante zona ceremonial, que unió a diversas culturas a través del Tahuantinsuyo y se convirtió, al igual que Macchu Picchu en el Cuzco (Perú), en símbolos del poder de la civilización Inca.

Ruben GriesshaberRuben Griesshaber

Visited from cuenca with public bus 2.5h / ~5$ You have to switch buses 1 time Would say it was worth it Ruins with explanations and a walking path on the back We visited biblian church on the way as well to break down the journey which was also nice To enter you get a guide every 30min We went to the interesting museum while waiting

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Cara del Inca

4.7

A & M (FiZoo)A & M (FiZoo)

Very interesting place. Our tour guide person had a lot of knowledge and very passionate about the heritage and his culture. Excellent guide! Beutiful place to take pictures. Do not take little once with you if you have any. Lot of info to listen to and your little once may not care about anything he has to say. You'll see them run off on the distance...

Astra RenwickAstra Renwick

Gorgeous, short hike (~1hr full loop) with little vestiges of Incan culture along the way. It starts right at the end of the visit to Ingapirca which is a wonderful archaeological site in Ecuador that teaches the history of the Canari and Incan people and culture of the time. About an hour to tour of you take your time. Highly recommend!

Carlos BarreraCarlos Barrera

If you like ancient ruins, over 2,000 years old, Ingapirca is a wonderful palce to see and learn how this pre-columbian civilization lived. The Cara del Inca takes a short trek from the main temple, and altitude does affect a bit, but it depends on each person. It takes some time to see the face, but then it is clear to the eye.

Douglas DavidDouglas David

El lugar queda a un costado de los hallazgos arqueológicos de Ingapirca, para ir allá no se paga ,pero debes estar dispuesto a caminar a paso lento 1 hora entre subida y bajada puedes descansar,hay un lugar a un costado de la cara del Inca donde venden caldo de gallina cuy ,platos típicos, dejaré unas fotografías para que disfruten, en el trayecto hay otros hallazgos arqueológicos interesantes , panorama muy hermoso,pero deben ir dispuestos a caminar, lleven bebida hidratante al finalizar el recorrido hay restaurantes de la zona, hay buses y taxis que los llevan del centro de la ciudad de Tambo o de Cañar hasta el parqueadero, buena aventura vale la pena.

Pam GuerreroPam Guerrero

Esta formación rocosa natural de 15 metros de alto imita el perfil de una cara humana, la de un inca ✨ 🚘 Se ubica en un costado de la terraza sobre la que se levanta el sitio de Ingapirca en Hatum Cañar. ⛰Cuando las montañas toman formas, nuestros pueblos los llaman “Apus, espíritus protectores” ⚡️ Ingapirca es considerado como el sitio arqueológico precolombino más importante del país y el conjunto arquitectónico inca mejor conservado del Ecuador. Desde las ruinas hasta la cara del Inca el sendero toma aproximadamente 15 minutos y puedes conocer el baño del Inca y mirar paisajes naturales bellos 🤩 Más información en mi instagram @pamguerrerop

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Templo del Sol (Inca)

4.6Historical Place

Nomad NateNomad Nate

Didn't get to go inside or up close or learn much about the templo—what some would consider the main feature of the ruins here—perhaps because some students were studying it or reconstructing it at the time, saw some scaffolding and half a dozen jovenes dusting the stones—I don't really know, my guide didn't say anything about the templo, when we arrived here at the end of the tour she simply broke the news that we owed her more money because, unbeknownst to us, she was a "private guide" not included in the admission price, even though we had not personally contracted her, the complejo had called her in for us when we purchased the tickets. See my review of the tourist trap "complejo" for more, but suffice it to say Ingapirca no vale la pena ni la plata, güey, vete a Cajas o El Chorro de Giron para disfrutar esta región de véras.

PEXSICOPEXSICO

Excelente lugar turistico y arqueologico. El Templo del Sol de Ingapirca es un sitio arqueológico ubicado en la provincia de Cañar, Ecuador. Es uno de los lugares más importantes y emblemáticos de la cultura cañari y la civilización incaica en el país. El templo fue construido en el siglo XV por los incas, y se cree que fue utilizado para rituales y ceremonias religiosas. La estructura es impresionante, con muros de piedra y una arquitectura que refleja la habilidad y la precisión de los constructores incas. El Templo del Sol es famoso por su orientación hacia el solsticio de junio, cuando el sol se alinea perfectamente con la entrada del templo. Esto sugiere que los incas tenían un conocimiento avanzado de la astronomía y la matemática. El sitio arqueológico de Ingapirca también incluye otros edificios y estructuras, como la Casa de los Viracochas, la Plaza Principal y el Cementerio. Los visitantes pueden explorar el sitio y aprender sobre la historia y la cultura de los cañaris y los incas. El Templo del Sol de Ingapirca es un lugar sagrado y emblemático para la cultura ecuatoriana, y es considerado uno de los sitios arqueológicos más importantes del país. Es un destino popular para los turistas y los amantes de la historia y la arqueología, y ofrece una oportunidad única para conocer la rica herencia cultural de Ecuador.

Carlos BarreraCarlos Barrera

We visited back in 2015. If you love history and see ancient ruins over 2,000 years old, this is a wonderful place to learn about those civilizations. Ingapirca is a well preserved area and the views of the Andes mountains are awesome, breathtaking. It is absolutely worth visitng.

Giovan Battista FilippiGiovan Battista Filippi

Purtroppo quando sono arrivato l’ho trovato chiuso al pubblico. L’ho visto solo dall’esterno, è tenuto molto bene e anche i giardini intorno sono molto curati. Il tempo variabile ha reso il colore delle pietre quasi sempre uniforme e non ha permesso di avere quel gioco di policromia che il sito ha come caratteristica!! Comunque ha il suo fascino è va visto a prescindere!!

Kirk BratvoldKirk Bratvold

Visited here as part of our organized day tour. Loved learning about the history and significance of this location.

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Ingapirca, Cañar — Travel Guide & Things to Do

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Ingapirca

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