Cajamarquilla

Lima & Around


A pre-Columbian site, Cajamarquilla is a crumbling adobe city that was built up by the Wari culture (AD 700–1100) on the site of a settlement originally developed by the Lima people. It is still undergoing renovation; a visit may be arranged by calling the Ministry of Culture ahead of time.

A road to the left at about Km 10 from Lima (18km from Central Lima) goes to the Cajamarquilla zinc refinery, almost 5km from the highway. The ruins are located about halfway along the refinery road; you take a turn to the right along a short road. There are signs, but ask the locals for the zona arqueológica if you have trouble finding them.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lima & Around attractions

1. Puruchuco

4.87 MILES

The site of Puruchuco hit the news in 2002 when about 2000 well-preserved mummy bundles were unearthed from the enormous Inca cemetery. It’s one of the…

2. Asociación Museo del Automóvil

6.99 MILES

The Asociación Museo del Automóvil has an impressive array of classic cars, some dating back to 1901, from a Ford Model T to a Cadillac Fleetwood used by…

3. Cerro San Cristóbal

7.92 MILES

This 409m-high hill to the northeast of Lima Centro has a mirador (lookout) at its crown, with views of Lima stretching off to the Pacific (in winter…

4. Convento de los Descalzos

8.66 MILES

At the end of the attractive Alameda de los Descalzos, all but forgotten is this 16th-century convent and museum, run by the Descalzos (‘the Barefooted,’…

5. Museo Taurino

8.81 MILES

Plaza de Acho, Lima’s bullring, was built on this site north of the Río Rímac in 1766. Some of the world’s most famous toreadors passed through here,…

6. Parque de la Muralla

9.1 MILES

During the 17th century, the heart of Lima was ringed by a muralla (city wall), much of which was torn down in the 1870s as the city expanded. However,…

7. Monasterio de San Francisco

9.16 MILES

This bright-yellow Franciscan monastery and church is most famous for its bone-lined catacombs (containing an estimated 70,000 remains) and its remarkable…

8. Casa de Pilatos

9.19 MILES

East of the plaza, the lovely red Casa de Pilatos is home to offices for the Tribunal Constitucional (Supreme Court). Access is a challenge: groups of…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "peru/lima-around/attractions/cajamarquilla/a/poi-sig/1166246/1327053",
      "destination": "Lima-&-Around",
      "continent": "South-America",
      "country": "Peru",
      "region": "Lima-&-Around",
      "position": "superzone"
    }