Sam Travel Peru holds the trophy of grand design for unique trekking routes to the awe inspiring ancient Inca Citadel ruins of Machu Picchu. Masses create a constant flow of long anticipated excitement upon entering the UNESCO World Heritage Site, voted one of the New Wonders of the World. Many enter via trekking the Inca Trail or one of the alternative trails to this citadel.
Machu Picchu citadel was built in the 1450s, during the reign of Inca emperor Pachucuti, the exact purpose of these masterful ruins carry to the beyond spiritually. A variety of stories and legends laying dormant. Still to this current day, it stands alone in its air of grandeur and mystery. Urban and agricultural sectors elude over the plateau of Machu Picchu, with clear structures that demarcate areas of important religious purposes. Layered agricultural terraces surround much of the city, producing food to sustain around 1,000 inhabitants. The terraces also played an important role in providing efficient drainage to mitigate the impact of earthquakes and landslides.
Constructed with architectural genius using the ashlar method of placing stone on stone without mortar; even with our current technologies ,we have minimal understanding of how the Incas managed to move and lay stones of such size with ultimate precision. Contemplating this architectural beauty is both humbling and mystifying.
The citadel nurtures the Temple of the Sun, the Astronomical Observatory and the Intihuatana structures. Influenced by universal elements on a grand cosmic scale, the Incas astrological understanding of the Sun and it’s planetary influences are incomprehensible.
Strategically placed between two mountains – Machu Picchu Mountain(not to be confused with the citadel itself) to the south and Huayna Picchu to the north – the city provides unrivalled plunging of valleys on both sides with guarded access points of Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) and the Inca Draw bridge. After Bingham’s discovery, the site gained international prominence as the Lost City of the Incas.
Machu Picchu Trek – Trails and Routes
The Inca Trail or an alternate trek will reforge a negotiation of life with nature. The combination of the wildest landscapes, the remote and prestine transverses, typical peruvian awe-inspiring mountain ranges, diverse flora and fauna, it is nature in its purest form.
Its popularity, are concerns over the impact of so many visitors to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The trail has a limited number of 500 trekkers per day (only about 200 for trekkers). It is essential to book early, particularly during peak season May-September.
If you are interested in doing a Classic Inca Trail or one of our alternative treks to Machu Picchu, we have numerous treks on our website: www.samtravelperu.com Please see below the links available for detailed information on some our most popular tresks. Some possibilites are:
