• HISTORY: The Incas started building the ‘estate’ around 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although Machu Picchu was known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, Machu Picchu is Peru’s most-visited historic and cultural site.
• THE SITE: Located 7,970ft above sea level, Machu Picchu is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley, 50 miles northwest of Cusco, through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438-72). Those living nearby continue a way of life like their Inca ancestors, based on growing potatoes and maize and rearing llamas.
• INCA TRAIL: The Inca Trail is South America’s most famous trek and is rated among the top five treks in the world. Over its 26 miles, it combines fine mountain scenery with lush cloud forest, subtropical jungle and Inca paving stones, ruins and tunnels, leading to Machu Picchu. Visitors will need to apply months in advance to obtain a permit.
• NEW WONDER: In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. There are more than 140 structures, including sanctuaries, temples, plazas, holy springs and houses, together with over 100 flights of stone steps.