The clouds part and you see a stone city on a mountaintop, terraces descending into the abyss, Huayna Picchu behind. Machu Picchu seems impossible: why build a city at 2,430 meters where eagles fly below the streets? There's no answer, and that's part of the magic.

The Mystery

Machu Picchu was built around 1450 by order of Inca Pachacuti. The city existed for about a hundred years until the Spanish conquest. The conquistadors never found it. Machu Picchu vanished from history for four hundred years.

In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham found the city, though locals had always known about it.

Architecture

Walls are made of granite blocks without mortar. Stones are fitted so precisely that a blade won't fit between them. Machu Picchu has survived hundreds of earthquakes over 500 years thanks to special masonry techniques.

How to Visit

Route: Cusco - Aguas Calientes (train or trek) - bus or walk to ruins. Tickets online only, about 150 soles. In high season book a month ahead.

Train: PeruRail or IncaRail, 60-500 dollars. Inca Trail: 4 days, 43 km, permit required.

What to See

Temple of the Sun, Intihuatana (hitching post of the sun), Temple of Three Windows, Huayna Picchu (1 hour climb, separate ticket).

Tips

Altitude: Machu Picchu 2,430 m, Cusco 3,400 m. Acclimatization matters. Bring: passport, ticket, water, rain jacket, comfortable shoes.