Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Information

These are the ruins of an ancient Inca settlement located in the Andes Mountains, above 2400 metres above sea level. Specifically, it is located on the top of a mountain between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu peaks. It was built during the 15th century by the Incas. It was later abandoned, and was only rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century, which explains its good state of preservation.

It is worth clarifying that what is called the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is a larger protected area that includes the ruins within its boundaries, with the aim of preserving both the archaeological site and the nature of the place.

In 2007 it was voted and declared as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. It receives a multitude of visitors from Peru and abroad, and is considered one of the most important tourist sites on the continent.

It can be reached from the village of Machu Picchu (also called Aguas Calientes) by an 8.5 km vehicle route, by which you must take a bus that leaves from the village. There is also a pedestrian path (starting just after the bridge that crosses the Urubamba River, which at the beginning is the path that leads to a museum) that allows you to walk up to the entrance, but you have to take into account that it is all uphill and it takes 1-2 hours to do it.

To enter the ruins area you must have a tourist ticket, which must be purchased in advance (in high season it is advisable to buy it well in advance). There are guides available at the entrance gate. It takes approximately 3 hours to do the whole visit.

As soon as you enter the site, the first thing you notice is a landscape dominated by terraces, the citadel and the Huayna Picchu mountain in the background. The archaeological area has two well-differentiated parts: an agricultural area with crop terraces next to 'colcas' (product warehouses) and an urban area, both separated by a 400-metre wall with a trench that served as drainage. Among the most significant structures we can mention:
- The Intihuatana, which is a stone that for the Incas could have been a sundial or an astronomical observatory. It is on top of a hill with steps.
- Main Temple (in Spanish 'Templo Principal'): it is located just in front of the hill that has the Intihuana. Three carved stone walls can be seen, with trapezoidal niches in its upper part and also windows.
- Priest's House (in Spanish 'Casa del Sacerdote'): it is in front of the main temple. It is a room with two entrances and has small niches in its walls.
- Temple of the Sun (in Spanish 'Templo del Sol'): you can see a straight wall that continues as a semicircle, giving an open P shape. It is believed to have been a place for religious ceremonies, and its walls are decorated with trapezoidal windows.
- Royal residence ('Residencia real'): it is opposite the Temple of the Sun. It consists of a courtyard surrounded by rooms where it is supposed that the ruler of the place lived.
- Temple of the Cóndor (Templo del Cóndor): it is a group of constructions and caves that would have had a religious use, where there is a granite stone in the shape of an Andean condor.