Cerro Blanco

Cerro Blanco is an archaeological site in the Andes where settlements from different periods are stacked in layers on a mountainside. The scattered structures reveal residential areas, storage buildings, and evidence of how communities organized their spaces at high elevation.

The site was inhabited across many centuries by different groups who left traces of their settlements stacked one above another. The layered remains show how construction methods and daily life evolved across different time periods in the Andean highlands.

The site reveals how people adapted to life at high altitude, developing farming methods suited to the mountain environment. Daily objects like pottery and tools scattered across the ground show how residents organized their work and domestic routines.

The site sits at high altitude, so bring warm layers and take time to adjust when you arrive to avoid discomfort. A local guide helps with navigation and explains what you are seeing across the scattered ruins.

The site demonstrates how people engineered agricultural terraces on steep mountainsides to farm at such high altitude. This invention allowed entire communities to feed themselves in an environment where flat land was scarce.