Ancient and mysterious places in Ecuador

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Earthwork

Upano — Villano Valley Lidar Gardens at Villano River West (Upano West)

Regional Development (200–600 CE) · Upano (Kilimope) / Huapula fringe

Western raised fields of Upano at Villano River — 120 beds 40×8 m and 2 km canal.

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient city

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Pyramid

Cochasquí South Platform

Late Intermediate – Late Horizon (c.1250–1534 CE) Cara – Quitu – Inca · Cara–Quitu (Cochasquí–Cayambe)

The Cochasquí South Platform (Pyramid 13 South) is the southernmost of the famed 15 Cochasquí ramp-pyramids on the Mojanda volcano plateau above Tocachi, Pichincha, at 3,100 m on the Inca takeover…

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient village

Upano — Kilimope Southern Platform at Sangay Valley South (Upano South)

Formative to Regional Development (500 BCE – 600 CE) · Upano (Kilamope–Sangay) / Huapula

Southern platform village of Upano at Sangay South — 8 platforms 40×25 m and 600 m causeway.

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient city

Tumaco–La Tolita

Late Formative – Classic (c.600 BCE–400 CE) Tumaco–La Tolita · Tumaco–La Tolita (Tumaco-La Tolita I-II)

Tumaco–La Tolita is the classic Late Formative Pacific lowland tradition spanning the Colombia–Ecuador border from Nariño (Tumaco) to Esmeraldas (Isla La Tolita / Pampa de Oro) at 5 m in…

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Fortress

Rumicucho

Late Horizon Inca (c.1480–1534 CE) – Yumbo anterior occupation · Inca – Yumbo (pre-Inca)

Rumicucho (Kichwa rumi stone + cucho corner/hill) is the northernmost Inca fortress-temple of Pichincha, 13 km north of Quito at Mitad del Mundo (Equator monument zone) at 2,420 m.

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Archaeological wonder

Ingapirca

Ca. Cañari 900–1460 CE + Late Horizon Inca 1460–1532 CE · Cañari + Inca (Quechua, Tawantinsuyu frontier, Inca–Cañari mestizo architecture)

Highest Inca administrative-religious center in Ecuador and sole true Inca site with ashlar (Inca) + adobe Cañari fusion: elliptical Temple of the Sun (39×15 m mortised ashlar ellipse unique in Inca…

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Hydraulic works

Achupallas Ingapirca Inca Road Segment

Late Horizon Inca Imperial (1470–1532 CE) · Inca (Topa Inca / Huayna Capac – Cañari conquest)

Extraordinary preserved 8 km upland paramo section of Inca Qhapaq Ñan (royal road) climbing 3600–4200 m across Azuay páramo linking Achupallas (Inca tambo) to Ingapirca (Hatun Cañar) via stone-paved…

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Pyramid

Cochasquí

Integration–Late Period (Carchi–Quitu-Cara–Inca) · Quitu-Cara (Ecuadorian Highlands) with Inca overlay

Equatorial ramp pyramids (1250–1500 CE) at 3,040 m — 15 truncated pyramids with 200-m ramps to Cayambe.

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Ancient city

Tomebamba (Pumapungo)

Late Horizon Inca Imperial 1490–1533 CE · Inca (Tomebamba Cañari–Inca)

Huayna Cápac's northern capital second to Cuzco: Pumapungo 40 ha palace, kallanka and 300 m aqueduct under modern Cuenca.

🇪🇨 Ecuador · Pyramid

Cochasqui Northern Pyramids

Late Intermediate Caranqui 950–1470 CE to Inca 1470–1534 CE · Caranqui (Quitu-Cara, Cayambe) Cayambi-Inca

Northern cluster of Cochasqui Archaeological Park 28 miles north of Quito at 3100 m on Mojanda slopes: truncated earthen pyramids 20–24 m high on cangahua (volcanic) rock core, with ramps up to 290…

Ecuador

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Upano — Villano Valley Lidar Gardens at Villano River West (Upano West)

Cochasquí South Platform

Upano — Kilimope Southern Platform at Sangay Valley South (Upano South)

Tumaco–La Tolita

Rumicucho

Ingapirca

Achupallas Ingapirca Inca Road Segment

Cochasquí

Tomebamba (Pumapungo)

Cochasqui Northern Pyramids

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11 places