Horca del Inca

Lake Titicaca


This hillside gate (named 'the Incan Gallows' by the Spaniards) is a fascinating pre-Incan astronomical observatory, surrounded by pierced rocks that permit the sun’s rays to pass through onto the lintel during the June solstice, which is the Aymará New Year. Locals use the event to predict everything from the expected rainfall to crop yields, and venture up before sunrise to celebrate the occasion.

From near the end of Murillo, a signposted trail leads uphill to the site.