El Fuerte de Samaipata

El Fuerte de Samaipata is an archaeological site situated in the eastern foothills of the Andean Mountains. The ruins are located about located about 5 miles (8km) just outside Samaipata and 2 hours from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The ruins are a huge stone hill carving on top of a mountain.

Archaeologists believe that these ruins were once home to two civilizations. They have found both Inca symbols and those of pre-Inca carvings in the stone hill. Some carvings are believed to have been made before the birth of Christ.

During the Inca era it is believed that this area was the eastern outpost of the Inca empire and played a huge part in the security of the empire, protecting the land from the tribes of what is now Paraguay.

The ruins consists of two areas; the stone hill carvings and the residential area to the south of the stone hill.

The huge stone hill was believed to be religious ceremonial center. The giant sandstone hill features mysterious carvings of snakes, jaguars, cats, other animal figures, and geometric figures. There are canals that are part of the snake carvings and are believed to have carried blood or water during these religious ceremonies.

There is also a strange seating arrangement carved into the stone hill, which suggest people sat and watched these ceremonies. Located just south of the ceremonial area, it is believed there were temples.

Probably one of the most interesting things about the ruins is a deep hole or tunnel called La Chinkana. Archaeologists are baffled by this hole and it hasn't been thoroughly explored. Some believe it was an entrance to an underground tunnel that lead to far away Inca villages.

During its time the city must have been quite impressive. Due to its age the stone hill carvings has been eroded by wind and rain. There have been numerous steps to restore and preserve these ancient ruins. The site is under the care of Stonewatch, which is non profit society that protects ancient stones. Also, UNESCO declared the ruins a World Cultural Heritage site.

At the site, there's a ticket office and a small gift shop. You have to hike up trails to reach the ruins and maps are provided at the ticket office. The archaeological site is open daily from 9am-5pm and admission is about 24Bs ($3), which covers the park and the museum in town.