MachuPicchu Information
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MachuPicchu - Excursions
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Location of MachuPicchu
City: District Of Machu Picchu, Province Of Urubamaba, Department Of Cusco At Kilometer 112 (70 Miles), North- West Of The City Of Cusco.
Location Of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu Is Situated In The South-East Andes At 13°09'23'' Southern Latitude And At 72°32'34'' Western Longitude.
Altitude Of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu Is Found At An Average Altitude Of 2450 Meters Above Sea Level (8038 Ft.)
Surface Of Machu Picchu
The Archaeological Park, Including The Urban And Agricultural Sections Of Machu Picchu, Consists Of More Than 10 Hectares.
The Whole Historical Sanctuary Of Machu Picchu Has An Extension Of 32,592 Hectares.
Machu Picchu In The Inca Times
Machu Picchu, The Name Of One Of The New World Wonders, Is A Compound Word That Comes From Machu = Old Or Ancient, And Picchu = Peak Or Mountain; Therefore, Machu Picchu Can Be Translated As "Old Mountain".
The Famous Mountain That Is Seen In Front, And Appears In Most Of The Classical Views Of The Site Is Named Waynapicchu (Young Mountain). Unfortunately The Original Names Of The Mentioned Sectors Are Lost.
When The Colonizer Arrived They Were Said To Be Accepted And Welcomed In The Quechuas' Capital. Its Inhabitants Showed Them Everything They Had, Their Palaces, Temples, Towns And Cities; But, During All That Time No One Spoke About Machu Picchu Because It Seems That It Was A Very Special And Secret City Or Otherwise It Was Already Lost And Forgotten. The Archaeological Evidences State A Total Spanish Absence, There Are No Influences In Pottery Or Architecture, And The "Idolatry Extirpators" (Catholic Priests) Did Not Destroy Its Temples As It Happened In Every Spot Known By Spaniards; Thus It Is Supposed That Spaniards Did Not Arrive And Probably Did Not Know Anything About The Existence Of Machu Picchu.
What Was Machu Picchu?
Because Of Its Location, Strategically Established For Its Protection, Its Number Of Temples And Their Architectonic Quality, The Small Amount Of "Kanchas" (Apartments For Extended Families), And Because Of The Several Characteristics That Machu Picchu Presents: Originally, It Was A Regional Power Centre Dependent From Qosqo. It Was A Small Religious And Political Capital. Surely, It Served As A Dwelling For The Inca Or Any High Ranked Dignitary From The Capital, As Well As For Selected Nobility That Had Many Privileges And Was Served By Hundreds Of Servants. Most Modern Archaeologists And Historians State That Machu Picchu Was Made, Built And Used By Inca Pachakuteq, Who Was Tawantinsuyo's Greatest Statesman And Ruled From 1438 To 1471, As His "Royal Estate". Scholars Use For This Assertion The Chronological Dating Given By The Carbon 14 Or Radiocarbon, Its Doubtless "Imperial Inca" Architectonic Style, The Predominant Ceramic Pieces, And A Couple Of Ancient Chronicles Found In The Qosqo Archives. Even More, The Archaeological Evidences Discard Totally Any Possibility Of Pre-Incan Settlements In This Region.
The Great Discovery To The World’s Eyes
Machu Picchu Was Found To The Contemporary World And Modern Science By The North-American Historian Hiram Bingham Who Was Conducted By People Of The Zone Who Knew About The Existence Of Machu Picchu. Finally He Arrived There On July 24th Of 1911 And Started His Archaeological Studies, Making An Extraordinary Investigation Of The Site And Wrote The Book: “Lost City Of The Incas”
Machu Picchu Nowadays
Nowadays Machu Picchu Is An Historic National Sanctuary, Protected By The Peruvian Government By Means Of Law Nº 001.81.Aa Which Dates From 1981. This Law Tries To Conserve The Geological Formations And Archaeological Remains Inside The Sanctuary And Also Protects Its Flora, Fauna And Beautiful Landscapes. The Whole Park Has An Extension Of 32,592 Hectares.
Tourism MachuPicchu Information
In A Methodological Way, Machu Picchu Is Divided In Two Main Sectors: Farming And Urban;
The Farming Sector Is Located Just After Entering From The Only Machu Picchu Based Tourist Hotel. Here You Will Find Very Extensive Artificial Farming Terraces; Only A Few Of The Ones Existing In The Region Can Be Observed As Most Of Them Are Covered By Thick Vegetation.
Passing From The Farming Sector To The Urban One There Is A Great “Dry Moat" That Served To Protect The Agricultural Sector. Machu Picchu Was A Very Exclusive City And Its Population Was A Selection Of Nobility, Therefore, It Had A Very Effective Security And Protector System. Crossing The Dry Moat One Will Reach The Urban Sector;
The Most Important And Sacred Temples And Sides In The Urban Sector Are The Following:
Sun Temple :
The Sun Temple Is An Originally Very Well Protected Complex. In Inca Times Only The Priests And The Inca Could Use Those Temples; This Is Why They Remained Closed And Protected. The Entrance Of The Sun Temple Exists Of A Magnificent Double Jamb Doorway.
The Temple Itself Was Built Over A Huge "In-Situ" Boulder. It Has A Semicircular Floor Plan; Its Rear Wall Is Straight And The Whole Temple Is Built With The "Imperial Incan" Architectonic Type; With Rectangular Faced Stones With Perfect Joints. The Semicircular Wall Has Two Windows; One Of Them Faces Towards The East And The Other Towards The North. According To Modern Scientists Those Two Windows Constitute The Most Important Solar Observatory In Machu Picchu
The Sacred Plaza :
The Sacred Plaza (Holy Group) Is A "Wayrana" Type Of Temple; A Temple With Only Three Walls Constructed With Stones That Have Rectangular Faces And Perfect Snug Joints, With The "Imperial Incan" Wall Type. The Main Temple Shows Seven Trapezoidal Niches On Its Central Wall And Five On Each Of The Lateral Ones. In Front Of It, About 8 Meters Ahead And Close To The "Three Window Temple" Is A Huge Boulder Partially Carved That Must Have Been Its Central Pillar For Supporting The Roof Beams; Nowadays Some Guides Call That Rock The "Sacrificial Altar". Nowadays The Main Temple Has Its Central Wall Broken Moving Towards The North- East; Archaeological Works Demonstrated That It Is A Displacement Due To Rain Filtering. Although Some Geologists Suggest That It Is Due To A Geological Fault Passing Across This Spot; They Indicate Even More, That There Is Another Fault Across The Sun Temple. The Deity Worshipped In This Main Temple Is Unknown, Though; Historians Argue That It Could Be Wiraqocha, The Andean Invisible Superior God. In Front Of This Temple's South Side-Wall There Is A Small Outcrop Of Carved Stone That According To Some Chroniclers Represents The Southern Cross, Which Is Not Categorically Proven.
Intiwatana
Sacred Group, Which Seen From Far Away Has The Shape Of An Irregular Interrupted Pyramid That Bingham Named "Sacred Hill". It Is Impressive How The Whole Sector Was Adapted To The Shape Of The Natural Hill. At The Top Of The Hill There Is The Famous Carved Rock Called “Intiwatana". Its Shape Is Irregular (Polygonal) Finishing With An Almost Cubic Polyhedron On Which The Top Has Signs Of Having Been Hit. Originally, All The Faces Of This Boulder Must Have Been Finely Polished; Possibly The Same Way As The Main Temple In Ollantaytambo, With A Surface Almost As Smooth As Glass. Moreover, It Must Have Had Other Auxiliary Elements For Its Use. The Word "Intiwatana" Which Is Being Used To Name Groups Of Similar Carved Stones Has Not Been Found In Any Ancient Chronicle. The Word Was First Used By The North- American Scientist George Squier In 1877. Names That Have Been Found To Be Used By Chroniclers Were “Saywa" Or "Sukhanka". "Intiwatana" Is Translated As The "Place Where The Sun Is Tied Up" Or Simply "Sun Fastener". The Day Of The Winter Solstice (June 21st) The Quechuas Had To Perform The "Inti Raymi" (Sun Festivity) Which Was The Biggest Celebration Of The Inca Society. On This Date, The Sun Is Located At The Most Distant Point From The Earth Or Vice Versa, Here For The Quechuas Believed That Their "Tayta Inti" (Father Sun) Was Abandoning Them. They Had To Perform Different Rituals In Order To Ask The Sun Not To Move Away Any More And Symbolically They Had To Tie It Up To The "Intiwatana". However, "Intiwatana" Could Also Have Had A Different Significance, Since "Inti" Is "Sun" And "Wata" Is "Year", It Could Be Translated As The "Place Where The Solar Year Is Measured".
Sacred Rock:
The "Sacred Rock" Is A Natural Projection Of The Mountain And Stands Surrounded By A Stone Pedestal, Its Surface Is Relatively Smooth And Was Possibly Also Finely Polished Like The Ollantaytambo Boulders, But Erosion Of 4 Or More Centuries Of Abandonment Changed The Surface Polish And Even Its Whole Shape. In The Inca Religion It Is Believed That The Mountains Constitute Or Have "Apus" (Superior Spirits) Considered As Peoples Protectors (Nowadays Mountains Are Still Worshipped In The Andean Religion). Many Scholars Believe That The "Sacred Rock" Is Simply The Representation Of The Yanantin Mountain, Standing Behind It. In Ancient Times The Silhouettes Of The Rock And Mountain Were Identical, But In The Present Times They Are Not Identical, But Almost Similar, Due To The Natural Erosion Over The Rock. However, Some Authors Argue That The Rock Must Had Another Shape, Possibly That Of A "Lying Puma" Or A "Guinea Pig".
Three Doorway Unit
Those Are Basic Buildings That Served As Apartments, Storehouses, And For Other Utilitarian Duties
Mortars Group
Some Authors Call The Mortars Group The “Industrial Sector". The Architectonic Quality Of Its Walls Indicates That It Had A Serious Importance In The City; Bingham Named It The "Ingenuity Group". This Was Apparently A Very Exclusive Group Because It Has A Double Jamb Doorway And Inside, It Still Has The Door Locking System With Two Small Carved Boxes And Their Stone Stakes. Inside This Group There Is A Room Having Two Circular "Mortars", Both Have Almost The Same Diameter And Have Been Carved On A Granite Outcrop In The Floor. Some Historians Suggest That Those Were Seats For "Aryballus" (Pointed Base Jars) Containing "Chicha" (Maize Beer). Likewise It Is Suggested That They Were Filled Up With Water In Order To Serve As "Mirrors" For Astral Observations During Clear Nights, Alleging That This Enclosure Was Not Roofed; But According To Many Modern Astronomers That Is A Weak Possibility Because It Is More Practical To Observe The Sky Directly And Not Using Mirrors.
Temple Of The Condor
The "Temple Of The Condor" Is Almost Like A Labyrinth. In Its Lower And Central Portion The Temple Conserves A Sculpture On A Granite Outcrop With The Shape Of An Andean Condor Having A Beak And With The Classic White Collar Around Its Neck And Its Whole Body. There Are Two Huge Rocks Surrounding It; They Represent Its Wings, Giving The Impression Of Being A Landing Condor. It Is Obvious That This Was A Sacred Spot Built On Purpose In Order To Worship The "Apu Kuntur" (Condor God) That Was One Of The Three Sacred Animals Of The Inca Society Along With The Puma (Cougar Or Mountain Lion) And The Snake; Therefore The Temples’ Duty Was Strictly Religious.
Escalinata de las fuentes
Es un conjunto formado por una gran escalera junto a la cual corre un sistema de 16 caídas artificiales de agua, la mayoría de las cuales está cuidadosamente tallada en bloques poligonales y rodeada de canaletas labradas en la roca. El agua proviene de un manantial en las alturas del Cerro Machu Picchu que fue canalizado en tiempos incas. Un sistema adicional en lo alto de la montaña recoge filtraciones de la lluvia de la montaña y las deriva al canal principal.
Map Of Cusco, Machu Picchu And The Sacred Valley
Ways To Reach Machu Picchu
Following We Are Going To Describe The Different Options For Reaching The Sacred Site Of Machu Picchu.
Railway
Perurail Is The Only Company Who Manage The Train Service To Aguas Calientes, Also Known As Machu Picchu Village. Peru Rail Offers Tourists And Local People Different Services And Schedules According To Availability .
The 3 Different Services For Tourists Are:
The Backpacker Trains Offer The Most Economic Option For Travelling On The Route Between Machu Picchu, The Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) And Cusco.
Snacks Are Being Served At An Additional Cost And Additional Storage Space Is Available For Backpacks.
There Are Two Backpacker Services, One That Runs Between Cusco And Machu Picchu, And The Second Backpacker Service That Runs Between The Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) - Machu Picchu.
The Service From Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley) Is The Fastest Way To Reach Machu Picchu.
The Vistadome Trains Have Beautiful Panoramic Windows Offering Unsurpassed Scenic Views And Photographical Opportunities.
With Glass Surrounding Them On All Sides, Passengers Feel As If They Are Part Of Peru's Remarkable Landscape.
Snacks And Hot And Cold Refreshments Are Included On The Journey.
There Are Two Vistadome Trains:
One Vistadome Service Runs Between Cuzco - Poroy - Machu Picchu.
Just After Departing Cuzco, The Vistadome Train Completes A 'Switchback', A Small Series Of Zig Zags Up The Hill Behind Cuzco. Passengers Can Save Half An Hour By Catching Up With The Train At Poroy (A Small Station Just Outside Of Cuzco).
The Other Vistadome Service Runs Between The Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) - Machu Picchu.
The Hiram Bingham Train Is The Most Luxurious Way To Journey Between Cusco And Machu Picchu.
This Luxurious Train Is Named Hiram Bingham After, And In Honour Of The North- American Explorer Who Discovered The Legendary Archaeological Complex Of Machu Picchu.
The Round Trip Between Machu Picchu And Cusco Aboard The Hiram Bingham Is A Luxurious Experience Where Every Detail Has Been Taken Care Of.
In The Morning En Route To Machu Picchu A Brunch Will Be Served As You Watch The Stunning Landscape Unfold.
Upon Reaching Your Destination A Guide Will Show You The Highlights Of The Machu Picchu Citadel.
After The Day Exploring The Marvel Of Machu Picchu, Cocktails And A Gourmet Dinner Are Served On The Return To Cusco.
Inca Trail Travel
Maybe The Most Interesting And Exiting Way To Arrive To Machu Picchu Is Through The Classic Inca Trail That Can Be Done In 4 Days And 3 Nights (The Longest), And In 2 Days And 1 Night (The Shortest) Especially For People Who Don’t Have Much Time Or Prefer To Do A Short Trail , The Last One Is A Good Option .
The Nowadays Very Well Known Classic Inca Trail Is A Path Constructed By The Incas In Order To Conduct Pilgrims And Also The Official Authorities Of The Inca Empire To The Sacred City Of Machu Picchu.
The Trip By This Andean Path Is An Unforgettable Experience. The Road Is Paved With Blocks Of Stone And Has Stairs, Tunnels And Wooden Bridges That Cross Rivers, Temperate Valleys, The Jungle And The Cold Andean Altitudes.
The Inca Trail To Machu Picchu Is Part Of An Extensive System Of Inca Paths Of More Than 23.000 Kilometres, All Together. The Inca Empire, Also Called Tawantinsuyo (Four Regions) Used To Cover The Southern Part Of Colombia, The West Of Brazil, The Whole Of Ecuador, Peru And Bolivia, Part Of The North Of Argentina And Almost Reaching The Centre Of Chile.
Mainly These Roads Covered The Coast And The Mountains , But In Some Cases They Reached The Tropical Mountains Nearby To The Jungle, Like On The Inca Trail To Machu Picchu.
The Inca Trail Can Be Done All Year Long, Except In February. During This Month The Trail Is Closed For Maintenance.
The Best Time To Do The Inca Trail Is During Our Dry Season Between May And September; However, This Does Not Mean That There Is No Possibility Of Getting Rains Or Showers Because They Simply Are Unforeseeable Even In The Dry Season.
To Do The Inca Trail It Is Necessary To Travel To The Starting Point Of The Trail; Km 82 Of The Railway Cusco - Aguas Calientes. From Here You Will Start The Trail On Foot.
The Highest Point Of The Trail Is The Pass Of Warmiwañuska (Dead Woman’ Pass) At 4200 Meters Above Sea Level (13780 Ft.).
The Level Of Difficulty Of This Trail Is Average
Salkantay Trek
Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights
Level Of Difficulty: Average.
Another Exciting Option To Arrive To Machu Picchu Is The “Salkantay Trek”.
Salkantay Is A Sacred, And One Of The Most Important Glaciers Of The Andes, With An Altitude Of 6271 Meters Above Sea Leve
During This Trek With The Highest Point Of 5000 Meters Above Sea Level, People Will Be Able To Cross Beautiful Landscapes And Might Be Lucky And See Condors And Alpacas In Their Natural Habitat.
Inca Jungle
Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights
Level Of Difficulty: Minimum.
An Adventurous Alternative For Who Wants To Combine Trekking With Cycling.
The Route Is Amazing Because Of Its Diversity In Landscapes .The Scenery Changes From Dry To Leafy Jungle .We Also Visit Some Places With Inca Remains And The Santa Teresa Hot Springs, A Pleasant Experience On The Way, Before Finally Reaching Machu Picchu.
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This Inca ritual, which many Andean communities still continue, consists of offering gifts to mother earth in thanks for all that she provides for the people and animals.
Mother Earth feeds us, cares for us and protects us. The earth supplies us with everything necessary, just as all good mothers care for their children. Humans live within “culture” but we should not forget that essentially it is “nature”.
Ayahuasca is the "Vine of the Soul", a sacred medicinal power plant, which grows as a vine in the Amazonian rainforest and is a natural psychotropic and hallucinogen.
