Panoramic View

This ancient Inca city is one of Peru’s most precious treasures. It was built in the mid-15th century and is believed to have been one of the residences of the ninth Inca of Tahuantinsuyu, Pachacútec, although the remains of a sanctuary are also found there. Its name means old mountain, and refers to the place where it is located, at about 2,453 meters above sea level, on a rocky outcrop between Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. It is common for travelers to suffer from altitude sickness during the climb.

Today, this Inca jewel is one of the country’s tourist hotspots. Travelers come to Aguas Calientes to begin the Inca trail that Hiram Bingham, the Yale professor, popularized at the beginning of the 20th century. The historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu is considered one of the seven new wonders of the modern world and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983.