Chullpas of Sillustani in Puno

If you are visiting the region of Puno and you have already been to the Uros Island, you have already visited the other islands that tell us their history through their weaving, lifestyle, ceramics and more, however, there is a place that will call our attention and is almost mandatory to visit: the Chullpas de Sillustani or Inca cemetery.

In this trip we made through Puno, we saw a fantastic Inca cemetery of 90 Chullpas that I would like to share with you more information about them, where we will see what to see and do, how to get to the cemetery, at what time, how much it costs to visit this site and some recommendations that you should take into account.

What to see and do in the Chullpas of Sillustani?

The Chullpas de Sillustani or Inca cemetery is located 34 km from Puno, next to the Umayo Lagoon at an altitude of 4,000 m, this lagoon has a depth of 14 meters, the Sillustani Archaeological Complex has 90 Chullpas in the shape of an inverted cone.

This ancient burial place belonged to the Kolla culture (XIII-XV century) in which they buried their nobles, rulers and priests being an important funeral center of the south. Formerly, the Kolla culture made a whole process in case of death of a priest or a member of the nobility.

• Chullpas of Sillustani, in these 90 Chullpas of inverted cone are buried very important characters for the Inca Empire, as we said before the Kolla culture before burying their dead they had to mummify them in a fetal position to then place them in the Chullpas, in addition it will be buried with all their belongings of gold and silver among ceramics, utensils, etc. because they believed in reincarnation.
• Figures in the Chullpas, in the Chullpas we can see snakes and lizards.
• Chullpa del lagarto, is so called because of its large blocks of stone with which it was built and are located at the base, also among the others is the largest, as it measures 12 meters high with stones that fit precisely and was built in the Inca period.
• Chullpas of different shapes, there are some that have circular, square and other rectangular shapes, these could be from the town.

Characteristics of the Chullpas of Sillustani.

All the entrance doors of the Chullpas of Sillustani are made towards the east where the sun rises with the sole purpose that the deceased can communicate with the God Sun or Inti, you will notice that their doors are small and these were only made for the entry of the funeral bundles and then closed with small stones.

Now on the inside we will see that it is made of small stones and without carving them compared to the outside that if you see that the stones are well carved and are large and joined perfectly with each other, you will not find any groove or needle that can enter.

Each detail shows us perfectly for whom the tombs were directed, for example we will see rustic tombs and other finer ones, in the high part of the Chullpas you will be able to see a row or ribbon of stone and under it are some figures of snakes or lizards, a detail that we have to take a good look at.

• The best time to visit the Chullpas of Sillustani is from May to August, although these are the cold months, but there is no rain so your visit will be more profitable, you should only take warm clothes and sunscreen.

How to get to the Chullpas of Sillustani?

It is about 30 minutes from the paved road that connects Puno and Juliaca, but we have several points from where you can come to the Chullpas of Sillustani:

Arriving from Cusco

From the city of Cusco you must go to the bus terminal to buy a bus ticket to take us to Puno, once in this city we must take buses that take us to Juliaca in the direction of the detour to Sillustani; from there we take a bus that takes us to the archaeological site and return we do the same.

Arriving from Puno

From the city of Puno we must take a cab or motorcycle cab to take us to Sillustani and tell him that you get off at the turnoff of Sillustani, there you have to wait a few minutes or until the bus is full to take you to the site of the Chullpas.

These buses charge about 4 soles and will drop you off at the entrance, from there go to the ticket office, pay for your tickets and start the tour. On the way back you have to do the same as when you came, always remember to get on the buses that already have passengers because they will leave quickly.

Hours and admission fee

To visit the Chullpas of Sillustani you must go from Monday to Sunday from 8 in the morning until 17 hours, regarding the entrance fee for adults is S/15 soles, students, university students the cost is S/5 soles and children under 12 years old have a cost of S/2 soles. This price is for national or foreign tourists.

Get to know Sillustani with Illapa.com

Knowing the mysteries and archaeological sites of our Peru with Illapa.com will be one of the best and most beautiful experiences that we will take especially from the city of Puno, our company has specialized staff and will offer you a good tour during your stay in Puno.

Recommendations to visit the Chullpas of Sillustani

If you are going to travel to the Chullpas of Sillustani take into account these recommendations:

• Don't forget to bring your ID.
• Carry cash.
• Wear warm clothing, hat, gloves.
• Wear appropriate shoes for trekking.
• Use sunscreen.
• Bring water, snacks, sweets.

Visiting one of the most important Inca cemeteries in Latin America is undoubtedly one of the best experiences you can take with you, and not only can you visit this amazing site, you should also visit the floating islands of Lake Titicaca where you can do experiential tourism; do not forget that the country of Peru is surrounded by several tourist sites and attractions that need to be visited.