A Guide To Visiting Ingapirca Ecuador
An Overview of Ingapirca
Located in the highlands of Ecuador’s Cañar province are a series of ancient Incan ruins which are uniquely combined with Cañari indigenous people. The site served as a fortress, storehouse and temple location, hosting the largely intact Temple of the Sun. Ingapirca is a fantastic day trip from Cuenca, with the Cañari and Inca ruins, roaming alpacas and a complex, underground, ancient aqueduct system.
Advice While Visiting Ingapirca
Ingapirca can be reached from Cuenca via bus from Terreste Terminal, though there’s sometimes a delay. This bus will go to Cañar, where other buses regularly head up the mountain to Ingapirca. When taking this route, there’s no need to leave the Cañar terminal
Ingapirca’s ticketing office opens at 8:30 AM and the secondary entrance opens at 9:00 AM. At this time, people are usually only let in as a group. There is parking near the entrance, but it’s usually completely full by 9:30 AM or so.
Tourist shops and restaurants exist around the site, but not in great numbers. Expect them to be somewhat crowded by 11 AM or so.
It takes roughly an hour and a half to reach Ingapirca by bus and a bit longer to return depending on traffic.
Interesting Info About Ingapirca
Ingapirca is a large series of Incan and Cañari ruins located to the north of Cuenca. These ruins doubled as a fortress and living site for members of the Cañari culture and were eventually adopted by the Incan civilization. These are the largest Incan sites found in Ecuador.
The Temple of the Sun is the centerpiece of these ruins, constructed by the Inca. The Temple follows Incan construction techniques, using interlocking blocks, no mortar and positioned in relation to celestial motions. The temple’s opening is calculated to allow sunlight to enter the building directly at the solstices.
The Cañari tribe was incorperated into the Incan system with a certain level of autonomy, after resisting military coercion. The Incans and Cañari were politically joined following the marriage of Inca Túpac Yupanqui and a Cañari princess. Their union helped develop the Cañari city of Guapondelig, otherwise called Pumapungo. This site became present day Cuenca.
Much of the information regarding Ingapirca and the Cañari in the nearby musuem (Museo Ingapirca). This museum houses relics, stone curved chopping blades, rocks used for grinding grains, pictures of indigenous attire and samples of the local foods grown on the slopes of the mountains. The museum is entirely in Spanish, so a translation app, a guide or proficiency in the language is important.
While the Incan ruins are astonishingly well-preserved, the Cañari structures, which were made with mortar, have weathered severely. Many of the Cañari structures are low walls, ritual sites and terraced fields.
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