Latin America - Peru - Machu Picchu

The Lost City of the Incas

(photos of August 2008)

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From Cusco to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is without a doubt one of the wonders of the world. And just getting to Machu Picchu is half the fun, as it normally means traveling through the fabulous city of Cusco (often spelled Cuzco), which I illustrate here.

There is no road to Machu Picchu -- one can get there in about 4 hours by train from Cusco or in 3-4 days by foot over the famous Inca Trail. The railway line is currently operated by PeruRail, which provides several comfortable services.

The daily train from Cusco departs at 6am and takes about 4 hours to cover only 111 km to the town of Aguas Calientes (at the foot of Machu Picchu). Starting at an altitude of 3360 m (11023 ft), the line drops by 1300 m. However, to exit the valley of Cusco, the train first climbs nearly 300 vertical meters (see first photo below taken from the train climbing through a cloud) through "el zig-zag" (map), which comprises four reversals of direction, and a series of hairpin bends before it starts to drop again.

After a couple of hours, the line reaches the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas (map), shown next and dominated by the Nevado La Veronica at 5850 m. Here flows the Urubamba River, sometimes also called Rio Vilcanota, a tributary of the Amazon -- the vegetation has already noticeably changed from the dry and cold climate of Cusco to a wetter and warmer climate, 600 m lower.

Aguas Calientes

Another two hours later, the line reaches Aguas Calientes (described at Wikipedia, map). While this is the end of the line for tourists visiting Machu Picchu, locals can continue right through town down the Urubamba Valley in simpler trains, as shown next; however, the line is frequently damaged and unusable. The vegetation has become subtropical.

Aguas Calientes provides accommodation and supplies, as well as a continuous bus service to Machu Picchu, a few kilometers away and about 400 meters higher by hairpin road.

Machu Picchu

The history of Machu Picchu (map) remains full of mysteries; it is described at Wikipedia. Machu Picchu was used by the Incas for less than 100 years, from the mid-15th century to the mid-16th century; one theory says that smallpox wiped out the local population. The site itself is awe-inspiring, as shown in the following panorama. The Urubamba River loops around it through a deep and narrow valley, protecting it from three sides. The fourth side is protected by a mountain called Machu Picchu ("Old Peak", shown further below), which gave its name to the site.

The ruins, at an altitude of about 2400 m (7900 ft) , cover a saddle between the "Old Peak" and the iconic sugarcone-shaped peak seen in most photos -- Huayna Picchu ("Young Peak") towers some 360 m above the main ruins and also carries additional Inca structures near its top (see next photo).

Each vantage point offers a new perspective. The vegetation around Machu Picchu is dense and lush, while the ever-changing clouds cast ceaselessly moving shadows across the landscape and the time of day continuously changes the lighting.

The last panorama above shows both the Huayna Picchu ("Young Peak" at left) and the base of the Machu Picchu ("Old Peak" at right). The Machu Picchu peak also emerges above the ruins in the next view, followed by other close-ups of partially restored buildings and four-legged residents.

The last two pictures look down on narrow terraces that seem to precariously hang some 400 meters above the Urubamba River.