Machu Picchu adventure travelIf you buy plane tickets to Peru so you can enjoy adventure travel or a memorable vacation soaking up the regal majesty of Machu Picchu, you'll be struck by the precision engineering that created one of the world's greatest architectural and archaeological monuments. Various myths explain how the ancient Incas were able to so perfectly fit stones together to build the walls of Machu Picchu without any type of cement. One myth involves a bird that had the power to soften stone, another a magical plant that could dissolve and compress the rock. |
|
Argentina
Australia Austria Bolivia Brazil Chile Denmark Egypt France Germany Greece Holland |
 
|
Hong Kong
India Israel Italy Luxembourg Mexico Norway Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey Travel Shop |
|
CLICK ON THE PICTURE above for more world travel images with information about cheap vacation spots and travel agency links for airline tickets, hotel reservations and car rentals. What's on the next page? Lake Titicaca Travel Tips If you're looking for cheap airline tickets, discount hotel rooms or car rentals, visit our Travel Shop or keep travelling by clicking above. Thumbnail Picture Index Last Minute Travel Tips Useful Peru Links Maps of Peru |
|
Machu Picchu travel facts Note: Travel to the area around Machu Picchu has resumed after floods stranded about 2000 tourists and caused widespread infrastructure damage in January 2010. Repairs are underway around the town of Aguas Calientes, which links Machu Picchu by rail to the city of Cusco. The images on this page illustrate the diverse building styles used for different walls throughout Machu Picchu, as well as the scenic beauty of the 32,592 hectare surrounding sanctuary for flora and fauna. Once the fortress city of the ancient Incas, Machu Picchu is located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north-west of Cuzco, the old imperial Inca capital of Peru in South America. Most tourists stay in the city of Cusco, which has abundant hotels, restaurants, nightlife and travel booking facilities. Machu Picchu is 2,400 metres above sea level, covers about one square kilometre and is built into a narrow and uneven mountain peak which borders a 400 metre cliff falling into the Urubamba River canyon. Machu Picchu was discovered on July 24, 1911, by American explorer Hiram Bingham, who was actually searching for Vilcabamba, the undiscovered last stronghold of the Incan empire in South America. Many locals credit the Machu Picchu discovery to a local 10 year old boy called Pedro who led Bingham to the ruins. Exploration of the site uncovered a total of 135 bodies, 109 female. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The Inca city is laced with squares, aqueducts, observatories, watchtowers and even a sun clock. In 2003, UNESCO threatened to put the stone citadel city on its list of at-risk heritage sites after experts warned of the damage caused by almost half a million visitors each year. The Peru Government proposed a $132 million plan in 2005 to preserve the ruins of Machu Picchu and restore the Inca Trail, both of which have suffered damage from landslides and relentless tourism numbers.
The streets and stairwells of Machu Picchu include about 3,000 steps and the city has a network of water canals weaving through small squares and courtyards. The pre-Columbian ruins of Machu Picchu comprise 18 square kilometres of terraced stonework.
The city was built between 1460 and 1470 AD by Incan ruler Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Machu Picchu has approximately 216 buildings, a majority of them dwelling residences, although there are temples and other public buildings. It's estimated that about 1,200 people lived in and around Machu Picchu, mostly women, children and priests. Most of the structures in Machu Picchu are built of granite blocks cut with bronze or stone tools, and smoothed with sand. They fit together perfectly without mortar - despite each being a unique size and shape. Dense surrounding bush partly covers Pre-Colombian cultivation terraces. Apart from Machu Pichu, there are 34 other archeological ruins in the sanctuary, most interconnected by the ancient Inca Trial. Air-conditioned tourist trains with ceiling windows are available in Cusco to take travellers directly to Machu Picchu along a spectacular route. If you travel to Machu Picchu you can find small hotel and hostel accommodation in the town of Aguas Calientes, about eight kilometres from the ruins (Aguas Calientes and the rail line to Machu Picchu were hit by landslides in April 2004, killing almost a dozen local people and stranding tourists, and floods have stranded tourists and caused considerable infrastructure damage in January 2010). Be prepared for wet weather. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Peru weather for holiday travel To book cheap airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, etc. for most South American cities, visit our Travel Shop. |
|
Search for tips about your preferred travel destination: Bookmark this page! Just press CTRL-D (PC) or Command-D (Mac) on your keyboard. 
Cheap World Travel Tips has dozens of exciting travel images, travel tips and cheap airline tickets that are worth coming back to explore!
Copyright 2009. All text and graphics on or related to this page are under strict international copyright and their use for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited without prior permission. All rights reserved. |
