Pariacaca Trail (from Pachacamac)

Part of the Route of the Gods (from Pachacamac to Xauxa, at the base of the snow-capped peak Pariacaca, named after the pre-Inca god of water), it is seen not only as a road, but also as a ceremonial path that pilgrims could follow to the Altar to Pariacaca, considered by some historians to be one of the most important burial sites in Peru. Upon arrival you can observe the open-air altars and the Pariacaca ridge, part of a mountain range that’s the starting point for the Cañete and Mantaro Rivers. When the Inca conquered the coast and the Central Highlands of modern Peru, there were two important ceremonial centers dedicated to Pachacamac and Pariacaca. There, ancient peoples predating the Inca participated in a cult of the “Apus,” deity spirits that embodied the summits of mountains (an ancient religious concept that’s not unique to the Andes).