Saqsaywaman, Head of the Puma

This half-day Cusco experience tells of how the Incas shaped, protected, and gave meaning to their capital. Hosted by a local archaeologist, Delsi, who has worked at Saqsaywaman, the experience brings the sites together through first-hand stories and the latest theories about Inca construction and cosmology. Tambomachay spotlights the Incas’ sophisticated relationship with water, where cascading springs are incorporated into a sacred site. The focus shifts to movement and protection at nearby Puka Pukara, a hilltop complex monitoring the road to Cusco. At Qenqo, underground passages and ceremonial spaces reveal the spiritual side of Inca life. Finally, you'll see how the monumental Saqsaywaman forms the head of the puma according to Cusco’s ancient urban layout. Together, the four sites show how the Incas understood Cusco not simply as a city, but as a carefully designed landscape where architecture, ceremony, movement, water, and the natural world were fundamentally connected.

Saqsaywaman took 80 years to build. These zigzagging walls with blocks weighing over 100 tons fit so precisely that you can't even slide a knife between them. As you'll hear, the zigzag in Inca cosmology represents the teeth of the puma, the sacred animal whose form the city of Cusco was designed to mirror. Walked together as a circuit with Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay, Saqsaywaman reveals a civilization whose engineering, customs, and rituals still leave scholars feeling puzzled. How the Inca cut, moved, and set those stones is still being studied; so is the question of what the site was for — fortress, ceremonial center, or celestial observation? Having worked as a professional archaeologist at Saqsaywaman, Delsi interprets the stones at your side — bringing your attention to the alignments, sections left unfinished, and small details a typical visitor walks past. This is your chance to understand how the Incas strategically built their empire and organized their society.

Delsi Espinoza is a local, fully licensed archaeologist from San Sebastian in Cusco. She has more than 15 years of experience working in the Cusco region on various official projects in a variety of locations. She has worked directly with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, international organizations, local municipalities, and national parks, including Machu Picchu, Saqsaywaman (Sacsayhuamán), Pikillaqta, and Urubamba, amongst others. She has led excavation projects, maintenance programs, and education initiatives in the region since graduating as an archaeologist from the Universidad San Antonio Abad Cusco in 2014. Delsi is accompanied by either Daniel (her business partner and husband, a fellow archaeologist) or Yessika (her sister, an economist and cultural educator). Daniel and Yessika are bilingual in Spanish and English.

Original passport (or equivalent identification card) is mandatory for site access. Sun and rain protection, depending on the season. Comfortable footwear for uneven ground. Light layers or a sweater for shifting weather. A small daypack with water, snacks, sunscreen, and a camera. ** Advise Dan/Delsi about dietary limitations in advance via Fernwayer Chat.