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Machu Picchu  Arguably the most famous of all Inca ruins but also the one about which least is known, the ruins of Machu Picchu are located on a high knife-edge ridge above the Urubamba river, some 80km northwest of Cuzco.Machu Picchu is never mentioned in any of the accounts of the Spanish Conquest and seems to have already been abandoned by the time the conquistadors arrived in Peru. There are no signs of Spanish occupation or destruction so apparent in other ruins. Numerous theories have been advanced as to the purpose of the town and the reason for it being abandoned. It may have been a religious retreat or place of pilgrimage. There are certainly numerous religious buildings at Machu Picchu, including the large carved stone named "intihuatana" or "hitching post of the sun". It is unlikely to be Vilcabamba, the last city of the Incas - that honour would appear to fall to Espiritu Pampa. When Machu Picchu was re-discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, it was barely visible beneath the vast undergrowth. Further expeditions in 1912 and 1915 cleared part of the ruins and uncovered some of the Inca Trail. The ruins were finally cleared in 1941 and have attracted visitors ever since with their beauty and mystery. Modern-day travellers to Machu Picchu can hike 3-4 days along the Inca Trail or catch a train to nearby Aguas Calientes. |
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