Fodor's Expert Review Gigante de Atacama

Gigante de Atacama Ruins Fodor's Choice

The world's largest anthropomorphic geoglyph, the Gigante de Atacama, measures an incredible 86 meters (282 feet). The Giant of the Atacama is a depiction of a giant man, perhaps an Incan chief or shaman, that with his square head looks a bit like a video game space alien. It is adorned with a walking staff, a cat mask, and a feathered headdress that resembles rays of light bursting from his head. The exact age of the figure is unknown, but it certainly hails from before the arrival of the Spanish, perhaps around AD 900. The geoglyph, which is on a hill, is best viewed just before dusk, when the long shadows make the outline clearer.

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