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Peru Tourist Guide
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SOUTHERN PERU:
Cusco:
Cusco City
Sacsayhuaman, Kenko and Tambo Machay
The Sacred Valley
Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu village)
Machu Picchu (The Site)
Inca Trail
Treks around Cusco
Manu Reserve (Jungle)
Tambopata Reserve (Jungle)
Salkantay
Choquequirao.
Lares
Ausengate
Rafting
San Blas
Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Inca's
The ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is the star attraction of Cusco .
Discovered in 1911 by US explorer Hiram Bingham, the citadel is deemed one of the
world's finest examples of landscape architecture.
Machu Picchu
("old mountain" in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas) nestles on top of a mountain
saddle high above the Urubamba River in the middle of the cloud forest.
It was both a center of worship and astronomic observatory as well as the private retreat
of the family of Inca ruler Pachacútec. Machu Picchu is split into two major areas:
the agricultural zone, made up of terracing and food storehouses; and the urban zone,
featuring the sacred sector, with temples, squares and royal tombs which have been carved
to an extraordinary degree of perfection.
The stone staircases and canals are found throughout this unique archaeological site called
Machu Picchu . Over the citadel looms Huayna Picchu ("young mountain" in Quechua), which
can be climbed up a steep stone-paved trail.
Climate in Machu Picchu :
Rainy during the summer (December to March). Sunny from May to September, although sudden
showers are not uncommon. Maximum temperatures reach 27° C, while the minimum rarely
dips below 11° C.
Access to Machu Picchu :
The Citadel of Machu Picchu is a three-hour train journey away from the city of Cusco ,
although it can also be reached by helicopter (30 minutes) or on foot
(4 days down the Inca Trail).
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