MACHUPICCHU

Location:
110 km from Cusco
 

Altitude:
2000 m.s.n.m

Coordinates:
13 ° 09'23''south latitude and 72 ° 32'34''East Longitude
 

Extension:
The sanctuary covers an area of 32,592 km²

Access From Cusco:

1. By rail: (Cusco - Bus to the Poroy or Ollantaytambo Train Station - Train to Aguas Calientes - Bus up to Machu Picchu Ruins - Return the same way)
   Is the most popular way to go because let visitors to travel to Machu Picchu in only one day (round trip) from Cusco City, from 5am in the early morning to 9pm at night. There are two train stations from where can take their train to Machu Picchu. the first is Poroy train station that is 15 kilometers from Cusco and Ollantaytambo train station from where the trip is shorter and less heavy than from the Station of Poroy. Beggining the trip by train from the Poroy Station adds like five hours of train.
   
   Even this route is the most commong is quite expensive because the train services have been manage by a Monopolic company that became an Oligopoly since September of 2009 when let two other competitors to enter to operate in the same rail road. This fact has affected the prices that went up.
   
   There are three train companies where you can buy your train tickets:
   
   1. Andean Railways.
   2. Peru Rail.
      1. Back Packer.
      2. Vistadome.
      3. Hiram Bingham.
         
         
2. By car: (Cusco - Ollantaytambo - Malaga Pass - Santa Maria - Santa Teresa -  Hydroelectric - Train to Aguas Calientes - Bus up to Machu Picchu Ruins - Return the same way)
   Is the cheapest way to go to Machu Picchu, but also dures two days and is only recommended in the dry season from mid April to October, normally the trip by car is made in vans that carry a maximum of 15 people.
   Some adventures take advantage of the mountains and add to their trips a ride in a mountain bike from Malaga pass to Santa Maria and canopy in Santa Teresa.
   For those relax lovers there is also the alternative to enter to the Coclamayo Baths that are just before arriving to Santa Teresa. In this baths you will be able to find pools with diferent temperatures of wather and also suiming pool. The climate in Santa Teresa is warm making perfect the stay enjoying the baths.
   The road is asphalted until Alfamayo town that is located after the Malaga Pass. From there the road is a dirt road until the Hydroelectric from where you have to take the local train to going to Aguas Calientes and then use the normal ways to get Machu Picchu.
   You will need to stay one night on Aguas Calientes because you will arrive late for taking the tour to Machu Picchu. The good thing of spending a night in Aguas Calientes is that you can relax going to the natural thermal baths of Aguas Calientes that is from where its name comes from "Hot springs".
   Next morning you need to go Machu Picchu very early (5 or 6am is ok) and enjoy it for 3 or 4 hours because your train back to Hydroelectric departs at noon and you hace to go down the mountain and then take your train.
   The second day you can have lunch in Santa Teresa that is a different town and its people is also very kind.
   
   
3. By helicopter: (Cusco Airport - Aguas Calientes Heliport - Return the same way)
   This is the fastest way to go to Machu Picchu from Cusco. The cost is higher but is good for people that has a little time. The only company that operates this route is Helicusco.
   
   
4. Walking, Inca Trail: (trekking)
   Recomended for adventures
   
   
   

The minimum time for an excursion from Cusco is one day. Today you can travel by helicopter from Cusco to Machu Picchu in 25 minutes, but the railway is the busiest route

Services:
In Aguas Calientes: Hotels, lodging typical restaurants and international food, bars and nightclubs clinic, public telephone, Internet

 

Joint Archaeological Machu Picchu
Located 2350 meters, far 8 km from Aguas Calientes. High expression of Inca architecture, situated in a wonderful natural environment, was scientifically discovered by Hiram Bingham 1.911.

Although currently discussing this and it appears that the Cusco Eduardo Lizarraga would come years before the fortress and would be the true discoverer of this wonderful history.

The periods of occupation, the building style and the remains of pottery are as follows: Initial 1300 BC, Classic dc 1.400, 1.533 Imperial dc Transitional Period, 1,533-1,572 D.C.
Machu Picchu compound word that comes from machu = old or ancient, and picchu = peak or mountain, therefore, Machupicchu is translated as "Old Mountain". The famous mountain that is seen in front, and appears in most classic views of the site is called Waynapicchu (Young Mountain).
Its main buildings stands the Sun Temple, built in a circle on a large rock, the Temple of Three Windows, the Tower, the Intihuatana and the Temple of the Moon. Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in 1983 declared by UNESCO as a cultural and natural heritage of mankind, covers 32 592 hectares of high forest and also includes archaeological sites Salapunku, Quillabamba Wayraqpunku and Retamal