Wamanmarka, Inca fortress archaeological site in Huayopata District, Peru

Wamanmarka is a fortified Inca site on a mountain at 1,575 metres in Huayopata District, La Convención Province, on the right bank of the Luq'umayu. Remains include defensive walls, scattered stone blocks, partly lost Inca masonry, and the excavated ruins of a palace of Tupac Inca Yupanqui.

Wamanmarka was founded by the Inca ruler Tupac Inca Yupanqui as a pukara fortress guarding the Antisuyu frontier and the road from Cusco to Machu Picchu, alongside Patallacta, Botamarca, Loyamarca and Huinay Huayna. It housed the high military command and the Sapa Inca during campaigns against Amazonian peoples. Its abandonment is debated: after the Spanish capture of Cusco, destruction in the wars of Manco Yupanqui and his heirs, or raids by forest tribes. The site was rediscovered in 1961.

The name Wamanmarka comes from Quechua words: waman means falcon and marka means village, showing how indigenous people named their places after animals and settlements. This naming reflects a direct connection between the landscape, wildlife, and community identity in the Andes.

The site sits at high altitude and requires good physical preparation and proper mountain hiking equipment to visit safely. Organized excursions from nearby areas help visitors navigate the terrain and learn about what they are seeing.

The site contains well-preserved water systems and terrace structures that show how Andean people managed water in mountain highlands. These engineering solutions allowed earlier populations to farm successfully in extreme high-altitude conditions.