Machu Picchu
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Machu Picchu

In 1911, Yale professor (and future US Senator) Hiram Bingham set off in search of Vilcabamba, the remote outpost to which the Incas retreated during the Spanish conquest.  Along the way, he uncovered a set of ruins so spectacular, he was certain that he had found the Inca's final capital.
  With support from his university and the National Geographic Society, Bingham returned to Machu Picchu to excavate the site.  The magazine shared his discoveries with the world, helping make Bingham an archaeological celebrity — and inspiration for Indiana Jones.
    Ironically, Bingham later located the real Vilcabamba at Espíritu Pampa, hidden deep in the jungle — but he could not bring himself to believe it was the last capital.
But if Machu Picchu was not Vilcabamba, what was it?  Bingham called it a citadel, and believed it might be “that mythical place from which the Incas had come”.    
However, archaeological evidence suggests that the city was not founded until the mid-15th century, during the reign of Pachacutec.  Nowadays, Machu Picchu is usually assumed to be an imperial retreat, although some contend that it was a administrative center or religious sanctuary.  
Bingham recognized that, whatever its original function, Machu Picchu “has the ... advantage of not having been known to the Spaniards, of not having been occupied by their descendants, and of not having been torn to pieces by treasure hunters", leaving it a remarkably well-preserved monument to Inca culture.  Of course, Bingham himself removed thousands of artifacts from this sacred site, which he donated to his alma mater.
2007 was a banner year for Machu Picchu.  In July, voters around the world selected it as one of the "New 7 Wonders".  Two months later, Yale University agreed to return the objects Bingham brought home from Peru.  And, last but not least, we made the journey along the Inca Trail to this unforgettable destination in October.

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 Intipunku (Sun Gate)

About 2 km (1.2 miles) southeast of Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail passes through the so-called "Sun Gate", an ancient Inca checkpoint just within sight of the city.
 

 

  
  Many hikers hurry to reach Intipunku by sunrise, hoping to catch their first glimpse of their destination after several days on the trail.  
 

 

  
From this point (2,720 m / 8,922 ft above sea level), the trail descends steadily towards Machu Picchu. The city's Sacred Plaza is a paltry 2,433 m (7,979 ft) above sea level, significantly lower in elevation than Cuzco.
About halfway down the trail is another checkpoint and ceremonial shrine, at the intersection of a second path through the forest.
A bit farther along is an Inca cemetery, where Bingham discovered several graves, accompanied by fine examples of Inca pottery and personal items.
Soon, the trail enters the city's upper agricultural sector, a set of llama-infested terraces which mark the entrance to the city.
 

 

  
 

 

 

Agricultural Outskirts
Machu Picchu occupies a dramatic site.  It is perched on a narrow ridge between two mountains — its namesake ("Old Peak" in Quechua), around which snakes the Inca Trail, and the picturesque Wayna Picchu ("Young Peak"), looming dramatically above the city.  The entire complex is surrounded on three sides by a loop of the Urubamba River, and can only be reached from below by a tortuous one-lane road — dubbed the "Hiram Bingham Highway".
The construction of a city in such a precarious location was a remarkable feat of engineering.  The Incas erected hundreds of walls along the steep hillsides, creating flat terraces upon which to build the city.
 

 

 

  
Approximately 60 percent of the construction actually lies underground, providing foundations and drainage for the buildings and walls. The terraces outside the city walls provided agricultural land to support the urban population, estimated at 1,000.
 

 

  
If Machu Picchu was in fact an imperial residence, its inhabitants were almost certainly limited to the royal family and its entourage.  Farmers and other workers, on the other hand, were allocated a place to celebrate festivities and perform religious rituals at the "Terrace of the Ceremonial Rock", in the upper agricultural sector overlooking the main city gate.  Archeological evidence confirms that much ceremonial chicha (fermented corn beer) was consumed here over the years!
 

 

  

Upper City
Like most Inca cities, the urban area of Machu Picchu is divided into upper (hanan) and lower (hurin) sectors.  These distinctions were not only physical, but social as well: the western or upper sector is home to the royal residence and the most significant ceremonial centers of the city.  It is also the location of the city's main gate, although nowadays tourists are routed into the ruins by way of the lower terraces.
 

 

  
 

 

  
The centerpiece of the upper sector is the Sacred Plaza, framed by the Temple of the Three Windows, the Principal Temple, and the house of the High Priest.  To the north rises a pyramid, atop which rests the so-called Intiwatana stone ("place to which the sun is tied").  Bingham gave it this name under the mistaken assumption that it served as a sundial; it was more likely linked to Inca worship of the sun and the surrounding mountains.
 

 

  
 

 

  

Lower City
The eastern or lower sector of Machu Picchu consists of a maze of former dwellings and storehouses, with the occasional ceremonial site mixed in.  Separating the two sectors is a grand esplanade, an improbably level, wide-open space for such a hilltop location.  Archaeological excavations have revealed that the grassy plazas are ingeniously constructed on landfill of chipped stone, leftover rubble which facilitates groundwater drainage.
 

 

  
The most famous destination in this part of town is the "Temple of the Condor".  It consists of a carved stone depicting a stylized bird, set below two large rocks suggesting the outstretched wings of this magnificent creature held sacred by the Incas.  Other nearby attractions include the intricately-crafted "Artisans' Wall" and the "Three Doorways" complex, once belonging to a set of high-status households.
 

 

  
 

 

 
       
 At the north end of lower sector is the plaza of the "Sacred Rock", featuring an enormous image stone reflecting the profile of Yanantin mountain beyond.
   

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)
The village (pueblo) below Machu Picchu is nicknamed for the hot waters (aguas calientes) of its thermal springs.  Of course, it's not the baths which draw the hordes of visitors, who are compelled to transit through this quintessential tourist trap on their way to or from their true destination.  After four days on the trail, however, we were just happy to kick back with pizza and pisco sours, while we waited for our train to Cuzco.
 

 

  

PeruRail
The only way to travel between Cuzco and Machu Picchu — other than hiking the Inca Trail — is by train.
The narrow-gauge railway line, following the wild Urubamba River, opened in 1928.  Just outside Cuzco, the route makes a series of switchbacks — known locally as "el Zig-Zag" — as it navigates the steep slopes surrounding the city.
PeruRail, the private company that operates trains along this route, offers three classes of service — the no-frills "Backpacker", the glass-roofed "Vistadome", and the luxurious "Hiram Bingham", named in honor of the intrepid explorer who started it all.

This page was first published 1 January 2008, and last updated 17 August 2008.