About 180 km north of Lima, in the desert of the Supe Valley, lies Caral, the center of the oldest known civilization in the Americas. Its pyramids were built around 3,000 BC, at the same time as the first cities of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and more than a thousand years before the Olmecs in Mexico. The Sacred City of Caral-Supe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A peaceful civilization
Caral surprised archaeologists because no weapons or signs of war have been found. Its people lived from agriculture, growing cotton, squash, beans and other crops, and exchanged them for fish and shellfish from coastal communities. Cotton was especially important, used to make the nets that fishermen needed.
What you will see
- The Great Pyramid: the largest building of the city, with stairs, terraces and ceremonial rooms on top
- Sunken circular plazas: where public ceremonies were held, a design that appears again and again in later Andean temples
- Residential areas: the houses of the elite and of the common people, organized around the main buildings
- The quipu and the flutes: finds that show a complex society, including flutes made from pelican and condor bones
The site was investigated from 1994 by the archaeologist Ruth Shady, whose work revealed its true age and importance.
Practical information
The drive from Lima takes about three and a half to four hours each way, so the visit is a full-day trip. The site is in the desert: bring a hat, sunscreen, water and comfortable shoes.
Visit Caral
Join our Caral Private Tour, a full day with a private guide and transportation from your hotel in Lima.