Machu Picchu Visit

The lost city of the Incas! This is what drew Hiram Bingham to Cuzco in 1911. Under the auspices of Yale University and the National Geographic Society, the American archaeologist attempted to retrace the route taken by Manco Capac. He made his way up the Urubamba valley with his mules and equipment. The Peruvians he met spoke of ruins, citing names — never the same ones: Vilcabamba, Choqueqirao, Viticos... Bingham never identified the legendary refuge of the last Inca, nor did he find its secret treasures. But he did uncover, in the primary forest at 2,700 metres above sea level, this eighth wonder of the world: Machu Picchu.

The sacred city of Machu Picchu can today be reached by train or, for the more adventurous, via the Inca Trail.
As you enter the “sanctuary” (as locals refer to it), the morning sun rises over the iconic Sun Gate, casting a brilliant light over the structures and terraces. The alternative is to visit the site in the afternoon, when it is less crowded. Whichever you choose, prepare to be struck by the imposing, skilful architecture of the watchtower, the Temple of the Sun and the royal Inca residences.  Pablo Neruda, the celebrated Chilean poet, put this emotion into words better than anyone: “Machu Picchu is a journey to the serenity of the soul, to eternal fusion with the cosmos; there we feel our own fragility. It is one of the greatest wonders of South America. A haven of butterflies at the epicentre of the great circle of life. One more miracle.”