As first stop on my visit to Peru, me and a friend set off to Pachacamac. I wanted to get the vibe of the country and see how public transport works. So I figured venturing 30km South of Lima was a good start.

Pachacamac was a coastal settlement at the end of the Qhapaq Nan. The hill offered a good defensive position and that's also where you find the main part of the ruins. I was somewhat reminded of a Greek Akropolis. The key ingredient for the town, though, seems to have been the wetlands which allowed for agriculture and easy access to water.

OUV

Frankly, the site was rather underwhelming. I would not favor inscription on its own. It's still fine as a day trip from Lima, especially if you take one of the collectivos passing through the suburbs. One thing that amazed me, is how much of a desert the area actually is.

WHS Yes/No

In the forum you can find Pauls extensive discussion if Pachacamac is a WHS already, being a component of the Qhapaq Nan. On the one hand side, you would assume large Unesco signs being on display for an inscribed site and the local staff to know about it: There aren't and they dont.

On the other hand side, having walked to the GPS coordinate shown on our map, I also doubt that a random Peruvian neighborhood street would be inscribed just because it follows the historic path. So, who knows. My hunch would be that it's inscribed. But I plan to tick off a few more components before counting Qhapaq Nan as visited.

Getting There

You need to get to any bus stop (parador) on the Panamericana heading South. Plenty of collectivos will pass through. On the way to the site we hitched a ride to Pachacamac, the city, not the site. We got off in due time, but it would have been easier and faster to take a bus to Lurin, preferably if they are marked Express, i.e. they will stay on the Panamericana till you reach the exit for Lurin. Be warned, traffic in Lima is hell.