Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu the lost City of the Incas was rediscovered covered by thick forest in 1911. Unacounted for by the Conquistadores and subsequent Spanish administrations its real significance and use can only be guessed at today.

Amongst the proud formality and sublime grandeur of these impressive ruins you can visualize the essence of these sturdy mountain peoples. The Temples of the Sun and Moon, their physical context bringing them to life, seem to represent more than any other Incan remains the essence of a culture now lost but still resonant today.

The most famous ruins in South America are also the most visited. Tourist hordes can be avoided by arriving early morning, preferably after hiking the Inca Trail as the Suns' first rays illuminate Machu Picchu and before the first trains arrive from Cusco and disgorge the throng!

Even with tourists its jewel-like setting and incredible beauty make it an unmistakeable highlight of any South American journey.