Nevado de Acay is the site of an Inka mountain sanctuary. A summit sanctuary was discovered in 2000; later two additional sites were discovered on the subsidiary summits Blanca and Navaja. Some historical references to the mountain indicate that it was the connection between the Inka province Chicoana and the Puna, although the Abra del Acay is not the only place to which these historical records may refer. The present day National Route 40 passes close to the mountain.