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Machu Picchu Review
Read our Cusco and Machu Picchu sights reviews. Or post your own.
Machu Picchu 
- Phone: No phone
- Category: Archaeological Sites
- Location: Machu Picchu
Fodor's Review:
This mystical city, a three-hour-plus train ride from Cusco, is the most important archaeological site in South America, and one of the world's foremost travel destinations. The name itself conjures up the same magic as King Solomon's Mines or Xanadu, and Machu Picchu's beauty is so spectacular that the disappointed visitor is rare indeed. Its attraction lies in the exquisite architecture of the massive Inca stone structures and in the formidable backdrop of steep sugarloaf hills, with the winding Urubamba River -- the Inca, who had a system of naming rivers by sector, called this portion of the river the Vilcanota -- far below.
Ever since American explorer and Yale University historian Hiram Bingham, with the aid of local guides, "discovered" the Lost City in 1911 -- the name began to appear on maps as early as 1860, even if attempts to find the site were futile -- there have been debates about Machu Picchu's original function. Bingham himself speculated that the site was a fortress for defensive purposes, but the preponderance of religious structures here calls that theory into question. It was likely a small city of some 200 homes and 1,000 residents, with agricultural terraces to supply the population's needs and a strategic position that overlooked but could not be seen from the valley floor. New theories suggest that the city was a transit station for products, such as coca and heart of palm, that were grown in the lowlands and sent to Cusco. Exactly when Machu Picchu was built is not known, but one theory suggests that it was a country estate of the Inca Pachacutec, which means its golden age was in the mid-15th century. Historians have discredited the romantic theory of Machu Picchu as a refuge of the chosen Inca women after the Spanish conquest; analysis shows a 50/50 split of male and female remains found here.
Bingham erred in recognizing just what he had uncovered. The historian assumed he had stumbled upon Vilcabamba, the last real stronghold of the Inca, the hastily constructed fortress to which the puppet Inca Manco Capac II retreated after the battles at Sacsayhuamán and Ollantaytambo. (The actual ruins of Vilcabamba lie deep in the rain forest, forgotten and not uncovered until the 1960s. And, ironically, Bingham did stumble upon the real Vilcabamba two years before he announced his discovery, equally unaware of what he had seen.) But Machu Picchu shows no battle scars, despite Bingham's insistence that it was a citadel, nor does it show signs of having been constructed quickly. Bingham assigned his own English-language names to the structures within the city. Call it inertia, but those labels have stuck, even though archaeologists continue to debate the correctness of the Yale historian's nomenclature.
The site's belated discovery has led some academics to conclude that the Inca deserted Machu Picchu before the Spanish conquest. The reason for the city's presumed abandonment is as mysterious as its original function. Some archaeologists suggest that the water supply simply ran out. Some guess that disease ravaged the city. Others surmise it may have been something as basic as the death of Pachacutec, after which his estate was no longer needed. Whatever the purpose, whatever the reason, this "Lost City of the Inca" was missed by the ravaging conquistadors and survived untouched until the beginning of the 20th century, and the mystery and intrigue will certainly inspire you to devise your own theories.
- Cost: S/77, S/38.50 with International Student Identity Card
- Open: Daily 6 AM-5:30 PM
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