The Caves of Sumbay - Arequipa - Peru Located 91 kilometers north of the city, behind the Misti volcano, the Sumbay Caves were discovered in 1968 and house around 500 cave paintings that are between 6,000 and 8,000 years old. These drawings from the Paleolithic era reproduce different figures of typical animals of the area such as guanacos, vicuñas, pumas and also some human representations. Among the animals, there is the particularity of seeing carvings of extinct species, such as the suris. In addition to the paintings, in the first expeditions to the caves, carried out by anthropologist Alex Neira, utensils were found with which it is believed that the inhabitants hunted and cooked their prey. The Sumbay Caves are part of the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve and since 2000 have been declared a National Cultural Heritage Site. What to see and do in the Sumbay Caves? Discover the different shapes and forms of the paintings. Most of them are camelids, although there are also some drawings of pumas and rheas or suris. Human figures also appear, although in smaller numbers. Observe the colors used and imagine their probable meaning. The paintings are mostly in white, although there are also some in ochre with different shades ranging from red to yellow. Appreciate the typical camelids that inhabit the area. It is common to come across alpacas or vicuñas walking in search of food, which were probably the main source of inspiration for these ancient paintings. Visiting the town. Sumbay is a small uninhabited village where there is a church and a train cemetery. To know the stone forest of Puruña. Within the same route and also included in the limits of the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca you can discover this site with beautiful formations of
The Caves of Sumbay – Arequipa – Peru Located 91
