About Machu Picchu

"Natural and Cultural World Heritage Site" by UNESCO
The New 7 Wonders of the World
The Lost City of the Incas

 

The archaeological site of Machu Picchu is considered as one of the new seven wonders in the modern world. Is a mystical place, a monument to divinity, where people can feel that they are a creation of God. The high sense of spirituality that inhabits this place seems to transport its visitors to a place where everything "in an unimaginable way" is possible. It is a place where strange forces of nature allow the individuals to reach an incomparable cosmic state, a state that can only be experimented in Machu Picchu.

 

Machu Picchu is located at 2,460 meters above the sea level on an artificial esplanade or 'pata' 112,5 Km to the north-east of the city of Cuzco. It is a citadel surrounded by Andean terraces, in the middle of a dry wood or high jungle. Inside, you can see extensive yards or 'canchas' that remark the presence of the Incas' typical places, 'kallankas', warehouses, corridors, steps and accesses. It is believed that it was a kind of residence or property of the first Inca Emperor, Pachacutec, but it hasn't been proved yet.

 

Together with Choquequirao and other places, represent the magnificence of Tahuantisuyo. The form of having access to this Inca site is by two ways. The ancient way, following the route of Qhapaq Ñan (Inca Road) and the modern one is by train. For being a very visited place, and one of the best conserved, it is considered as integral part of this tour.

 

Machu Picchu Weather:
The annual temperature averages 16°C and annual rainfall is between 1500 mm and 3000 mm at low altitudes. At 2,500 meters altitude the average temperature drops to 10.2°C, and annual rainfall is 2170 mm. The dry season lasts from May to September and the wet season from October to April.

Machu Picchu Overview

  • Location:


    Machu Picchu Town is located on the highest part of the eastern Andes, (high rain forest area) above the Urubamba river and northwest of Cuzco, 2,300 meters above sea level (7,546 ft.)

  • Distances to Machu Picchu


    From Cuzco: at 112 Km. (70 miles)
    From Lima: 1,277 Km (794 miles)

  • Population:

    3,400 inhabitants
    1,600 tourist (daily)

Maps of Machu Picchu

Maps of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu Guide

 

Machu Picchu Town: (Also know as Aguas Calientes)
Is located 2,300 meters above sea level (7,546 ft.), at 112 Km. (70 miles) from Cuzco, in the Urubamba valley in the lowest part of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in a area of direct access to the upper jungle. Is 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) away, about 1.5 hours walking to archaeological area. It has many hotels and restaurants for tourists, the train station, Indian handicraft markets and the hot springs. All travelers to and from Machu Picchu Inca Citadel must pass through here.

 

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
Since 1981 it has been declared Historical Sanctuary as well as Natural & Cultural World Heritage Site (UNESCO-1983) because of its archaeological importance as well as its unique flora such as the orchids that you may find aplenty. The park was established to protect the landscape of the renowned Machu Picchu archaeological site, founded by the Inca culture. It is thought that it was a royal Inca residence and was perhaps the centre for collecting coca from surrounding plantations. The site eventually fell into ruin, was covered by the encroaching forest, and "lost to science" until re-discovery in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Thee are also the remains of the Inca Way in the area, and local legends, including that of the spectacled bear, which is thought to serve as a messenger between the spirits of the high elevations and those of the jungle.

 

Machu Picchu Inca City - Archaeological Site
The city of Machu Picchu its elf was built at the top of a granite mountain. The Incas, using ingenious engineering techniques, were able to transport heavy stone blocks up the mountain side, and once there, they used their excellent masonry skills to produce amazingly polished stones that fit together perfectly. The city is divided into two architectural sectors or districts: the urban sector with temples and ceremonial areas, and the agricultural sector. Elected in the 7 New Wonders of the World - July 2007. It is one of the most popular archaeological sites of the world, and therefore, the most visited attraction in Peru.

 

Machu Picchu Site Museum - Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón
The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, achieves the objectives of the preservation and dissemination of cultural and archaeological research. Within a modern and dynamic exhibition, the reopening of Site Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón has become the primary means of communication and information for the most important cultural Historical Sanctuary of Peru.

 

How to arrive to Machu Picchu
The traditional and most frequent is by train from Cuzco city, or Ollantaytambo located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to the station of Machu Picchu Town (Aguas Calientes). Alternative is the Inca Trail, the trekking route. The are no roads, no cars or buses, there are no airport.

 

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Part of the 23,000 kilometers (approximately 14,000 miles) of roads built by the Incas in South America, this is Peru's most famous trekking route and possibly one of the most spectacular in the Americas. Every year; some 25,000 hikers from around the world walk along the extraordinary 43 kilometers of this stone-paved road built by the Incas leading to the unassailable citadel of Machu Picchu located in the depth of the Cuzco jungle. Machu Picchu Outdoors tours and alternative treks.

 

Tourist Services in Machu Picchu Town:
You can found hotels from 5 stars class to cheap accommodation, there are restaurants with Peruvian and international cuisine, Indian markets with handicrafts and gifts, stores, and the basic public services.

 

The minimum recommended time to visit and trip to Machu Picchu is one day (from Cuzco) or 4 days if you make the Inca Trail trek.


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