Inca Ruins of Rumicucho-north Quito-Ecuador

SouthAmerica July 6, 2020July 21, 2023 Ecuador, Inca, Inca Ruins, Rumicucho, southamericatotheworld, southamericatotheworld.com

Positioned along a minor ridgeline in the northernmost valley of Quito, we find the Rumicucho ruins. These are a lesser Inca site than the ones we find in Peru. They built the Rumicucho ruins to offer many purposes; as a fort, for supply storage, and some ceremonial purposes. They have restored the walls at the site haphazardly, using abundant cement mortar. The stonework does not feature the classic Inca refined joints or geometries.

Rumicucho’s waypoint is at 0.012928N, -78.43108W on the northeast side of the barren northward extension of the sprawling town of San Antonio de Pichincha. The site has a small parking lot, a very limited gift shop, and not much in the way of facilities. Because of the ruin’s proximity to Ecuador’s principal tourist attraction, “La Mitad del Mundo.” Which is the equator’s monument, some foreign tourist will also take the ten-minute drive to see these ruins. A watchman on site collects the one US dollar per person, as entry fee. There is a sign at the gated entrance that offers little information about the ruins. It mainly says that the location was first settled by the Caranqui Culture before the arrival of the Incas.

An elongated wall running for 360-meters encircled the central raised platform that is 53-meters long surrounded the ruins. Most internal structures were rectangular, however, north of the platform they found two circular walls. Also, the northern section of the west wall has some distinct left jogs in the wall. Which in aerial photographs lend the structure a sawtooth appearance. In general, the Incas built a series of tambos, or forts that also served as sanctuaries, as way stations along their network of Inca highways the Nan Capac. The Rumicucho site most likely belongs to this category within the Inca infrastructure system.

If you visit the site, expect arid conditions, bring some water, and don’t forget the sunscreen. Arranging transport away from the site is best done using a lift service as the area doesn’t have any taxis waiting for customers. Walking through the site will only take about fifteen to twenty minutes to get the feeling of the place. Understanding what actually went on at Rumicucho may have you pondering it for more time afterwards.

We visited the site, and we were the only ones making crucial to have a ride available to get out of there. The neighborhood didn’t look very safe, maybe because it is isolated, in Ecuador they refer to the Inca language as Quichua were Rumi is rock and Cucho is nook.