Peru - Espiritu Wari

The Wari was one of the most important prehistorical cultures in Peru. They settled in the mountainous valley of the Ayacucho in the center of the country. The main site of the culture was the city of Wari, now a massive structure of ruins that covers about 15 square km. They were the first community known to implement terraces for agricultural purposes and it is said that they were also the first culture to use military force to conquer surrounding civilizations. This culture soon reigned over much of the highlands and coast of modern Peru with their empire expanding all the way to the forests of the Convención in Cusco. Recently, in 2017, archaeologists discovered the ruins of a huge Wari temple in the district of Vilcabamba in la Convención de Cusco. Due to the symbolic and expressive location of these ruins, they believe that it must have been a place where the Wari Culture carried out rituals or that it was used as an astronomical observatory. Finding this was a big surprise as the original city of Wari is located far away from where these new ruins were found. Surrounded by history, magic, ancient cultural artifacts and breathtaking views, the highlands along Vilcabamba are home to a group of small-scale coffee growers. These farmers produce their coffee in a sacred location where for centuries there has been human activity.