Puka Pukara – Cusco’s Beautiful Red Fortress At Twilight

Puka Pukara, or red fort in Quechua, gets its name from the red tint the rocks reflect at twilight.

The site was a military fortress designed to protect the city of Cusco and served as a settlement. Scholars believe it was an Incan administrative center of sorts. There are aqueducts, plazas, baths, fountains, and other signs that reflect its non-military uses.

The Inca Trail also passes right by Puka Pukara. As a result, visitors may have used the site as refuge along the journey.

There are tunnels on site and there is speculation that they once led to the “Incan Spa” of Tambomachay.