Machu Picchu Facts
posted on November 8th, 2014 in Machu Picchu Facts
Machu Picchu Facts
Machu Picchu Facts
Where it’s located: in the cloud forest of the Andes Mountains, in southeastern Peru, South America.
Who built it?: The Incan Emperor Pachacutec ordered its construction.
When was Machu Picchu built?: in the mid-15th century A.D.
When was Machu Picchu abandoned? Probably 100 years after its construction, most likely during the time of the Spanish conquest, sometime between 1533-1536.
Who discovered it and when? The American history professor, Hiram Bingham, in 1911.
How does it rank as a site to visit in S America?: It is the most visited archaeological site in South America, is Peru’s #1 tourist attraction and in 2007 was voted one of the new “Seven Wonders of the World.”
How many people visit per year? Nearly one million. The Peruvian government has recently limited visitors to 2,500 per day. Before that, sometimes twice that amount would visit during the high season (May through September).
Is it worth the visit? If you can only visit one place in South America and are interested in getting a sense of the Andes and of the largest indigenous empire ever to have existed on the continent—by all means, Machu Picchu is the one place to visit. Since you have to travel to Cusco to get there, you get double bang for your buck, as Cusco is one of the most interesting cities on the planet.