Intihuatana Stone at Machu Picchu: Meaning, Purpose and How to See It

What Does Intihuatana Mean?

The word Intihuatana combines the Quechua inti, meaning sun, with wata, meaning to tie or hitch, so it is usually translated as the place where the sun is tied. The name was probably applied in modern times, perhaps by Hiram Bingham, and the Incas' original name for the stone is unknown.

The poetic idea of tying the sun likely refers to ceremonies at the June solstice, when the sun seems to pause before days grow longer again. Spanish chroniclers describe such rites, but not this specific stone.

What Was the Intihuatana Stone Used For?

The Intihuatana stone was most likely a ritual altar tied to sun worship and the Inca calendar. Many guides say its shadow marked the equinoxes and solstices, which guided planting and festivals. Others see it as a sculpted model of the sacred mountains around it. Evidence for exact astronomical use is limited.

A common claim is that the pillar casts no shadow at noon on the equinoxes. Machu Picchu lies about 13 degrees south of the equator, so the noon sun is never exactly overhead on those dates, and the shadow is short rather than absent.

Researchers have also noted the stone's corners point roughly toward the cardinal directions and toward nearby peaks such as Huayna Picchu, linking it to the apus, the protective mountain spirits.

Where Is the Intihuatana Located?

The Intihuatana sits on top of a natural hill in the northwest of Machu Picchu's urban sector, above the Sacred Plaza and the Temple of the Three Windows. The hill is shaped with terraces and stairways into a stepped platform, which is why some people search for it as the Machu Picchu pyramid.

Reaching it means climbing a steep stone stairway from the Sacred Plaza. See where it sits among the other buildings in our Machu Picchu site map and layout.

How Was the Intihuatana Carved?

Inca masons carved the Intihuatana from the living granite bedrock of the hilltop, shaping a stepped base, angled faces and an upright pillar from one piece. They worked with harder hammerstones and abrasives, since they had no iron tools, and polished the surfaces smooth with sand and water.

Carving in place, instead of moving a block, was typical of Inca sacred rocks called huacas. The same approach shaped the Sacred Rock and the rock under the Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu.

Why Did the Intihuatana Survive When Others Did Not?

The Intihuatana at Machu Picchu survived because Spanish colonists never found the site. In the 1500s, priests campaigning against Andean religion broke or buried many sacred stones they found across Peru. Machu Picchu's isolation protected this one, making it among the best preserved Inca ritual stones known today.

Other Intihuatana-type stones exist at Pisac in the Sacred Valley and in other Inca sites, many of them damaged. The wider story is told in our Machu Picchu history guide.

What Happened to the Intihuatana in 2000?

In September 2000, a heavy camera crane fell during filming of a beer commercial at Machu Picchu and chipped a small piece off the top of the Intihuatana. The incident caused outrage in Peru, led to legal action and tighter filming rules, and the damaged edge can still be noticed.

Since then, visitors have been kept back from the stone, and touching it is not allowed. The damage is one reason the official Machu Picchu rules for visitors forbid climbing on or leaning against walls and carvings.

How Can You See the Intihuatana Today?

To see the Intihuatana today, choose a Machu Picchu ticket route that passes through the upper sacred sector, usually a Circuit 2 route. Visitors view the stone from a set path and cannot touch it. Some routes only show the hill from a distance, so confirm current route details before booking.

Routes are reorganized from time to time, and access to the hilltop has been restricted at times for conservation. Compare current options in our Machu Picchu circuits guide before you buy Machu Picchu entrance tickets.

If you would rather not plan every piece yourself, see our Machu Picchu day trip from Cusco.

• Book a route that includes the sacred sector.
• Ask your guide which corner was chipped in 2000.
• Look toward Huayna Picchu to compare its shape.
• Visit mid-morning when clouds have usually lifted.
• Use the nearby Sacred Plaza for wider photos.

The Intihuatana works alongside other solar sites, so pair it with the Temple of the Sun tower and the Sun Gate on the Inca Trail.