🇵🇪 Country

Castles in Peru

18 landmarks in the Castlemap atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 14 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Peru is Machu Picchu, ranked #19 of 7,738 in the world — followed by Sacsayhuamán and Ollantaytambo.

The Castlemap atlas charts 6 fortresses, 4 palaces & châteaux and 8 ruins in Peru. They span more than 13 centuries — from Pikillaqta (founded 500) to Fort of Santa Catalina (c. 1850). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Peru.

Map of castles in Peru

On the map they cluster thickest around Cusco — 8 within a 100 km day trip. The northernmost is Kuelap, the southernmost Waqrapukara — about 1,086 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Cusco.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 18 landmarks mapped in Peru, 14 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 15th century — 4 of them. 8 predate 1500 and 3 were built after 1700.

All 18 castles in Peru

Machu Picchu
Fortress · 15th century · #19 worldwide · #1 in Peru
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at 2,430 meters.
Sacsayhuamán
Fortress · 11th century · #87 worldwide · #2 in Peru
Sacsayhuamán or Saksaywaman is a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire.
Ollantaytambo
Fortress · #129 worldwide · #3 in Peru
Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 72 km by road northwest of the city of Cusco.
Chan Chan
Ruin · 9th century · #182 worldwide · #4 in Peru
Chan Chan, sometimes called Chimor itself, was the capital city of the Chimor kingdom.
Vilcabamba
Ruin · 16th century · #221 worldwide · #5 in Peru
Vilcabamba or Willkapampa, often called the Lost City of the Incas, is a lost city in the Echarate District of La Convención Province in the Cuzco…
Choquequirao
Ruin · 16th century · #6 in Peru
Choquequirao is a 16th-century Incan site in the Cusco Region of southern Peru.
Písac
Ruin · 15th century · #7 in Peru
Písac or Pisac is a Peruvian town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is situated on the Urubamba River.
Kuelap
Fortress · 10th century · #8 in Peru
Kuélap or Cuélap is a walled settlement located in the mountains near the towns of María and Tingo, in the southern part of the region of Amazonas,…
Government Palace (Peru)
Palace & château · 16th century · #9 in Peru
The Government Palace, also known as the House of Pizarro, is the seat of the executive branch of the Peruvian government, and the official residence…
Pikillaqta
Ruin · 5th century · #10 in Peru
Pikillaqta (Quechua piki flea, llaqta a place, "flea place", also spelled Piki Llacta, Pikillacta, Piquillacta, Piquillaqta) is a large Wari culture…
Vitcos
Ruin · #11 in Peru
Vitcos was a residence of Inca nobles and a ceremonial center of the Neo-Inca State.
Real Felipe Fortress
Fortress · 18th century · #12 in Peru
The Real Felipe Fortress is a fortress located within the Monumental Zone of Callao, Peru.
Torre Tagle Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #13 in Peru
The Palacio de Torre Tagle is a residential mansion built during the colonial era of Peru that currently houses offices of the Ministry of Foreign…
Archbishop's Palace of Lima
Palace & château · #14 in Peru
The Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the capital of Peru, is the residence of the Archbishop of Lima, and the administrative headquarters of the…
Tambo Colorado
Palace & château · 15th century · #15 in Peru
Tambo Colorado is a well-preserved Inca adobe complex near the coast of Peru, also known under the Quechua names Puka Tampu, Pukallaqta or Pukawasi.
Huchuy Qosqo
Ruin · 15th century · #16 in Peru
Huchuy Qosqo,, is an Incan archaeological site north of Cuzco, Peru. Its name is Quechua for "Little Cuzco".
Waqrapukara
Ruin · #17 in Peru
Waqrapukara or Waqra Pukara is an archaeological site in Peru located in the Cusco Region, Acomayo Province, Acos District.
Fort of Santa Catalina
Fortress · 19th century · #18 in Peru
The Fort of Santa Catalina in Lima, Peru, is a Neoclassical style building that partly survives and it is in a good condition, and it is one of the…

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Peru?

The Castlemap atlas maps 18 landmarks (6 fortresses · 4 palaces & châteaux · 8 ruins) in Peru — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Peru?

Machu Picchu, ranked #19 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 15th century.

What is the oldest castle in Peru?

The oldest dated landmark in the atlas in Peru is Pikillaqta, founded 500. Earlier structures may have existed — this is the oldest with a documented founding year.

Where are most of the castles in Peru?

They cluster thickest around Cusco — 8 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km.

Which castles in Peru are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Per Wikidata, 1 of the mapped landmarks holds a UNESCO World Heritage designation — inscribed in its own right or as part of an inscribed ensemble: Chan Chan.