One of the most magical places in the world, where the connection between us and the environment is palpable with the naked eye, is Machu Picchu. What a wonderful site! Every self-respecting backpacker should climb the mountains to Machu Pichu, but walking and carrying a backpack is not the only option.
Today our destination is in South America, on the heights of Peru, to visit Machu Pichu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Machu Picchu
The ruins They are more than 2400 meters high. Are located in the Cusco region, 80 kilometers from the city of the same name. Some old documents say that the complex could have been the resting residence of an Inca of the XV century, but analyzing the ceremonial constructions today the idea that governs is that it is previous and officiated as a religious sanctuary.
Whatever, Machu Picchu, old mountain in Quechua, it is a marvel of ancient engineering and architecture. It is halfway between two mountains, Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, and the built area contains almost 200 buildings that began to be rebuilt in the 70s.
The weather is hot and humid during the day and cold at night. She rainy region, especially between November and March, so many of the tourists who arrive in the summer from the southern hemisphere suffer constant rains.
Travel to Machu Picchu
The first thing to do is plan, organize and book tickets entry to the site, something that luckily can be done many months before. So, with a date, you have to get down to work.
The starting point on the way to Machu Picchu is the city of Cusco. In itself the city deserves a tour because It was the capital of the Inca empire and a very important city in times of the viceroyalty. It is National hystoric monument y Heritage. There are churches to visit, there is the Plaza de Armas, convents and the remains of Inca urbanism that the conquest has not managed, luckily, to erase.
Now, if adventure is your thing, there is something that goes hand in hand with Machu Picchu: the Inca Trail. This route begins at kilometer 82 of the roads that go from Cusco to Machu Picchu. It is not for everyone because you have to walk four days and three nights, often rainy and cold, but it's worth it. It is special to walk on a centenary path, so significant.
If you don't want to walk so much there is another shorter route that only lasts two days and one night. Obviously, none of these routes is done alone. The walks on the Inca Trail are in groups of more than 10 people and always with the presence of guides.
If yours is not the weather then you can get there by train. The train ticket can also be purchased in advance, about a month in advance. The train leaves from a station called Poroy that is 20 minutes from the city of Cusco, although some services leave from Ollantaytambo. The tour is four hours and ends in Aguas Calientes or the town of Machu Picchu.
From either of these two towns one has to choose the ascent to the citadel: you can go up in bus, in just 20 minutes, or you can go up on foot in an hour and a half of walking and without paying a peso. So, summarizing, up to here what you need is to ensure the train tickets to Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu and the entrance tickets to the citadel (and, if you go up by bus, the bus too).
The entrance to the ruins is from 6 am But you have to see what you want to visit in addition: you can combine Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu, or with the mountain or with the museum. Only a few people are allowed to enter per day, so it is important to buy them in advance to organize the rest of the trip from that date. Sometimes a travel agency simplifies this process a lot but if not, you can always manage them through the website www.machupicchu.gob.pe.
You should also know that you cannot enter with food, who the bathrooms are outside the complex and that once inside you cannot climb or climb on buildings or smoke. Here you cannot miss the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows, the famous Temple of the Sun ... everything is beautiful.
Now, getting here and not taking advantage of the environment is a sin so for me you cannot miss the visit to Huayna PicchuWell, the climbing is fantastic. It also has buildings, platforms that plunge into the void, tunnels, carved stones, remains of a hanging fortress, the Inca chair and views of Machu Picchu and the beautiful landscape ...
Huayna Picchu can be visited only in two shifts, from 7 to 9 am and from 10 am to noon. Afterwards, no one is allowed in because a lot of fog forms and walking and climbing is dangerous. So, yes or yes if you do not want to leave this mountain in the inkwell, you must include it when reserving tickets. Another option to visit is climb the Putucusi to have another point of view of Machu Picchu or also, your own Machu Picchu mountain, which is right in front of Huayna Picchu.
Machu Picchu mountain has 3.061 meters and the road starts from the citadel itself. You follow Circuit 1 and arrive at the entrance checkpoint. You have to climb a lot but it is not difficult as it is not very steep and it is quite wide. Calculate two kilometers of walking and therefore more than three hours.
As you go up, you will see how Huayna Picchu and the citadel are at a lower altitude and you will come across beautiful orchids. Finally, from above you have a fantastic view of the citadel and the Vilcanota River. So if for some reason you cannot go up to Huayna Picchu, you did not get the tickets, for example, this is a great option that is not going to disappoint you.
Practical information about Machu Picchu:
- Only 400 people are allowed per day divided into two groups of 200.
- book at least one month before.
- The entrance ticket to the mountain allows the visit to the citadel in its three circuits and access to the alternative route of the Machu Picchu mountain.
- You have to go with your document and your ticket and when you go through the entrance control stamp your full name in the register, both at the entrance and at the exit.
- It is calculated that the residence time if you do one of the three circuits and add an alternate route to it is six hours.
- you are allowed to use the bathroom once.
- Do not carry more than a small backpack, use repellent, sunglasses and sunscreen.
- visit the museum with its archaeological pieces, botanical gardens and multimedia exhibits.
- enjoy the hot springs of Aguas Calientes