Enchanted Castles, an Eye of Water and the Mystical Chulpas

They are majestic rock formations, which look like real castles formed by wind, rain and time... Great master stonemasons!
I love it when a place has a legend of its own and this one has it: The legend has it that Mayta Capac, when passing through this place, asked the inhabitants what they wanted and they answered "we want big houses". That is why the Inca ordered to build big palaces that later became rocks.
An unmissable and truly magical place!
There is a huge esplanade at the side of the road where you can leave your car parked.

It is surprising to find this fantastic lagoon, a true mirror of blue water in the middle of this desert of mountains. A spectacle not to be missed. It is a great source for preserving wildlife life in the area. I recommend a walk along the shore, the setting is magical. It is possible to see condors in this area.
In the summer season, its flow rate drops considerably, as we later learned. But when I was there, in spring, it was full of crystal clear water. My husband and I took a lot of great pictures here.

Excellent place to try the trout which are exquisite, there is a quite varied selection of dishes and they are very friendly. It is a very humble village but the people are very friendly. There is surely no shortage of villagers drinking Pisco sour, who will happily ask where you come from and where you are going.
Open every day from 7:00 to 22:00 hs.

Incredible walk among the ruins of Sillustani. The chulpas make a great impression when you see them, they were constructions for the burial of important people for the Incas. Unfortunately they were destroyed during the Spanish conquest in search of treasures.
This funerary complex belongs to the Colla culture and is a place of incredible archaeological richness, touring it gave me a strange sensation, one can feel that it was a place of worship, special and I can't even imagine for those ancient people what they would feel when they saw such constructions erected in their entirety.
Be careful with the sun, take sunscreen and a hat with you, I came out of this reserve red as a shrimp for not protecting myself adequately.
This complex is open daily from 8:30 to 17:30 hs.

A very regional café with its own charm. They sell all sort of snacks and drinks to take away as well. And they have their own brand of coffee! We bought a package and tried it when we returned from our trip. It was delicious!
When we were there it was a very hot day, so we went there to cool off with a cold drink. There's an area to relax outside with some tables in the shade, very nice! What did we drink? Pisco Sour, it's so refreshing! But don't get too confident, it soon goes ritht to your head.
It is open every day from 7:00 to 19:00 hs.

This square and the church of Juan Bautista caught my attention. It is a very humble and simple village but its temple is imposing and its bell tower stands out so much.
When we arrived, even though it was late (almost dark), we were able to enter the temple, which is also very beautiful inside. The square is also very beautiful and large. It is a very nice place to visit and to walk around.

It is a very picturesque restaurant, where you'll be able to try excellent grilled meats and fine wines. The atmosphere is very pleasant. We had been recommended to park in a nearby shopping mall because the car parks in the area close early. We didn't need to because we found a parking space in a nearby street and had no problem leaving it there.
I recommend you to book in advance, you can do it by phone at (0051) 78 57 00 or by whatsapp at (0051) 933 07 80 92. Click here to know more.