According to documents from the mid-sixteenth century, Machu Picchu would have been one of the residences of Pachacutec, the ninth Inca Tahuantinsuyo between 1438 and 1470. However, some of its finest buildings and ceremonial evident from the main gateway to the llaqta demonstrate that this was used as a religious sanctuary. Both uses, the palace and the temple, it would have been incompatible. Some experts seem to have ruled, however, an alleged military, so the popular epithets of “strength” or “citadel” could have been overcome.
Machu Picchu is considered a masterpiece of architecture and engineering. Its unique architectural features and landscaping, and the veil of mystery around the literature published on the site, have become one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet.
Machu Picchu is on the List of World Heritage of UNESCO since 1983 as part of a whole set cultural and ecological known under the name Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The July 7, 2007 Machu Picchu was declared one of the new seven wonders of the modern world in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal, which was attended by one hundred million voters worldwide.
The archaeological site is accessible either from the Inca roads that reach it, or using the road Hiram Bingham. None of the two forms exempts to the visitor entrance price to the ruins.
That road, however, is not integrated into the national road network in Peru. Born in the town of Aguas Calientes, which in turn can only be accessed by railway whose route takes about three hours from Cuzco or 30 minutes by helicopter. The absence of a direct road to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu is intentional and allows to control the flow of visitors to the area, which, given its nature of national reserve, is particularly sensitive to the crowds. This, however, has not prevented the disorderly growth of Aguas Calientes, who lives and tourism, hotels and restaurants as there are different categories here.
Formerly to reach Machu Picchu by the main Inca road should do a walk of about three days. This requires taking a train or railcar until km 82 of the railroad Cusco-Aguas Calientes. Some visitors take a local bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and then take a shuttle to the mentioned km 82. Once there cross the railway to cover the 32 km there to Aguas Calientes. At present, buses reach the Hydroelectric located 9 km from Aguas Calientes, which are walking about three hours, which is the same path that makes the train.
The weather is hot and humid during the day and cool at night. The temperature ranges between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius. The area in general is very rainy, especially between November and March. The rains, which are abundant, rapidly alternating with periods of intense sunshine.
