Machu Picchu adventure travel trips
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Machu Picchu adventure travel and Peru vacations 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. During their Peru vacation, most tourists take a trip to 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. In the high season from late May to early September, an estimated 2,500 people visit Machu Picchu each day. From July 2011, this is the maximum number that will be allowed to enter the ruins each day. Each year about 400,000 tourists visit the site.
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. Machu Picchu adventure travel 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 with trips directly to Machu Picchu along a spectacular route. If you set off for adventure travel in 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 during your Peru vacation. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Peru weather for holiday travel To book cheap Peru airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, etc. for most South American cities, visit our Travel Shop. |
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