Learn about VEntanillas de otuzco

The Ventanillas de Otuzco (Small Windows of Otuzco) is a pre-Inca necropolis, containing 338 niches in a rocky hillside about 8 km (5 miles) northeast of Cajamarca.

It is not clear exactly when the niches were built, but they were probably started around 300 BC, by a culture that pre-dated the Caxamarca. They were then added to for the next several hundred years, until roughly 500 AD.

The windows are square or rectangular in shape, carved into a solid block of volcanic rock, with the openings measuring an average of 50 cm (20 inches) in height.

Some of the niches reach 10 m (33 ft) in depth, whereas there are others that are not big enough to fit a full skeleton. In this case, it is believed that the bodies were buried in the ground first, and after a while, some bones and skulls were moved to the windows.

They were then walled up, although today only the holes remain, following the attentions of Spanish invaders looking for buried riches.

The Ventanillas de Combayo is a similar, but larger site, with about 800 niches, 26 km (16 miles) beyond Otuzco. It is much less often visited.

How to visit Ventanillas de Otuzco:

It is easy to arrange a taxi from Cajamarca to the Ventanillas de Otuzco, with the journey taking about 20 minutes.

Alternatively, if coming from Baños del Inca, you can take a mototaxi; or it is a pleasant walk following the course of the River Mashcon.

Please note, though, that there are not normally English-speaking guides at the site, and nor are there any information panels. So, if you want to learn a bit more about the mysterious ruins, PeruNorth can arrange a half-day trip from Cajamarca, with transportation and expert guide, as an extension to our Chiclayo - Cajamarca itinerary, for example.

The half-day trip to Otuzco is included in our Cajamarca Cultural tour of either 4 or 5 days.